Chapter 43 Now that the opportunity has come, let's seize it...
Zhou Shiye's apartment was indeed very close to Wen Yu and Shen Jinhuai's home; the driver arrived in just a few minutes.
As she opened the car door, the cold night wind rushed onto Wen Yu's face.
Wen Yu shivered, then belatedly realized that she was only wearing a sweater and jeans; she had been in such a hurry that she had forgotten to put on a coat.
Fortunately, we soon got into the apartment building, where it wasn't so cold anymore.
Zhou Shiye's apartment is on the top floor, but his face is injured, and facial recognition failed several times.
Helpless, Zhou Shiye could only turn to Wen Yu for help.
"I?"
Wen Yu was taken aback. She remembered that when they were discussing where to stay when school started before the Lunar New Year, Zhou Shiye had mentioned that he had an apartment where she lived when she was in school.
Could it be true?
Meeting Zhou Shiye's expectant gaze, Wen Yu hesitated before standing at the doorway.
The door opened with a beep.
Wen Yu's heart tightened.
She really did live here.
Without time to think, Zhou Shiye pushed open the door.
When she turned on the light, the scene inside the room startled Wen Yu slightly.
Warm-toned lighting bathed the entryway, and a soft, off-white carpet lay underfoot. The living room was simply furnished, yet exuded a carefully crafted girlish charm.
A light pink plush blanket was casually draped over the sofa, the curtains were light green with delicate lace trim, and a music box doll dressed in a ballet tutu sat on a side table in the corner.
It's obviously a place where girls live.
"Come in, Xiaoyu."
Zhou Shiye stepped aside to let Wen Yu in, his voice weak, but his bright eyes were fixed on Wen Yu, observing her reaction.
Wen Yu hesitated before stepping into the apartment.
The apartment was deserted; it looked like no one had lived there for a long time.
But it was also cleaned spotlessly.
Wen Yu couldn't help but look around, her gaze finally settling on a painting standing by the huge French windows in the living room.
The easel is made of natural wood and is very clean.
The canvas is covered with a large expanse of rich, tranquil blue, with varying shades of blue interwoven, like the sea with undercurrents surging under the moonlight.
Is this her painting?
Is this how she handled colors when she first woke up?
Wen Yu walked over and approached in disbelief.
Sure enough, her name was in the lower right corner of the painting: [Yu]
"It's your painting."
Zhou Shiye approached and gently stroked the picture frame, his tender gesture completely out of place with his disheveled appearance with a bandage on his forehead: "Xiaoyu, have you forgotten this place? This apartment used to be where you lived."
Wen Yu's breath hitched.
Zhou Shiye continued speaking, not missing any expression on Wen Yu's face: "Back then, when you first came here to study, you didn't like living in the dorms or the rules of the old house, so Grandpa gave you this apartment. You were very attached to me, your older brother, back then."
At this point, Zhou Shiye paused slightly, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice: "I'll come visit you occasionally, cook you a meal, and chat with you."
"This painting is the one you painted back then. You said you liked this place and wanted to go to the beach with me."
Upon hearing this, Wen Yu's heart was filled with shock and disbelief.
She tried to search her blank memory for any relevant fragments, but only grasped at a void of mist.
And an inexplicable sense of fear enveloped her.
Clinging to Zhou Shiye? Likes it here?
Do you want to go to the beach with him?
Wen Yu began to have difficulty breathing.
"You're lying."
Wen Yu's body trembled uncontrollably, her heart grew increasingly panicked, but her mind remained blank.
Then, Zhou Shiye gave a wry smile.
Perhaps due to his excitement, the gauze on the man's forehead twitched, revealing a trace of bright red blood, making him look fragile and pitiful.
“I know you don’t believe me, you’ve forgotten everything.”
Zhou Shiye's eyes were filled with self-mockery and sorrow: "Now, I actually have to use this clumsy way of hurting myself just to get you to come back to this home for one last look. I'm sorry, Xiaoyu, I did something wrong today and scared you. I just... don't know what else to do."
Zhou Shiye's apology sounded very sincere, and coupled with the shocking wound on his forehead and his weak state, it was extremely damaging.
Wen Yu stood there, everything before her eyes dragging her into a vortex of cognitive confusion.
She had always felt that the Zhou brothers, Shi Ye and Ying Chen, were domineering and oppressive, making her want to escape involuntarily.
But this apartment, this painting, and Zhou Shiye's words all suggest that they were once close siblings.
So after losing her memory, she became an ungrateful person who kept everyone at arm's length?
Can……
How can she explain her unease here?
Just then, there was a noise at the door.
Wen Yu and Zhou Shiye turned their heads to look at the same time.
The door was pushed open, and Zhou Yingchen walked in.
The man was wearing a dark overcoat, with a tall and straight figure and a stern face.
He was carrying several food bags printed with the logo of a well-known restaurant, indicating that he had just brought food over.
Zhou Yingchen's gaze fell on Wen Yu's face, which was trying to control her panic and confusion. He then glanced at the blood-stained gauze on Zhou Shiye's forehead, his eyes indifferent.
He put down the food bag and calmly closed the door.
"elder brother."
Zhou Shiye frowned: "Why are you here?"
This was a hard-won private time for the two of them that he had carefully planned. What was Zhou Yingchen doing here?
Zhou Yingchen ignored Zhou Shiye's almost fiery glare.
He took off his coat and placed it on the dining chair, speaking calmly: "I heard you had some trouble, so I came to check on you."
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Let's eat something together."
Upon hearing Zhou Yingchen's words, Zhou Shiye belatedly realized that he had used the excuse he had used to coax Wen Yu upstairs: to invite her to have dinner with him.
Zhou Shiye glanced at the cold pots and stoves in the open kitchen, then at the tempting aroma of the food Zhou Yingchen had brought. His anger subsided, leaving only embarrassment and resentment.
He muttered something and then said nothing more.
The atmosphere was eerie.
The three of them moved to the restaurant.
Zhou Yingchen opened the food boxes and placed them one by one on the dining table.
Wen Yu was pushed by an invisible pressure and sat down at the dining table.
Zhou Shiye sat down next to her, while Zhou Yingchen sat opposite Wen Yu.
The meal was very quiet, with only the occasional soft clinking of cutlery.
But it was also suffocating.
Zhou Yingchen ate his meal with elegant movements, silently but with a strong presence.
Ignoring the injury on his forehead and the presence of his brother, Zhou Shiye began clumsily peeling the braised prawns on the plate.
He carefully peeled the shrimp shells and gently placed the whole shrimp meat into the small dish in front of Wen Yu.
"Xiaoyu, have a taste."
Zhou Shiye looked at Wen Yu with undisguised expectation and humble flattery in his eyes: "You used to love eating the shrimp I peeled the most."
Wen Yu looked at the shrimp on the plate in front of her, but had no appetite whatsoever.
But seeing Zhou Shiye's miserable state, and recalling the tender memories of the past she had forgotten that he had mentioned earlier...
Wen Yu's fingers curled up under the table, her nails digging into her palms.
Zhou Shiye stared intently at Wen Yu, holding his breath.
Zhou Yingchen also stopped what he was doing and his gaze fell on Wen Yu.
Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at that moment.
Wen Yu's heart was pounding, and her mind was becoming increasingly confused.
At that moment, with a loud "bang," the apartment door was violently kicked open from the outside.
Shen Jinhuai looked like he had rushed over from a banquet. He was still wearing a perfectly tailored dark suit, but his tie was loose and casually draped around his neck.
His face was icy cold, his jawline was taut, and he exuded a low-pressure aura. His bangs were messy, with a few strands hanging down, but they couldn't hide the terrifying storm churning in his eyes.
Shen Jinhuai's gaze swept over Zhou Yingchen, whose eyes were slightly narrowed, then over Zhou Shiye, whose forehead was wrapped in blood-soaked gauze, whose face was ugly and whose eyes were sinister, and finally settled firmly on Wen Yu.
At this moment, Wen Yu's face was pale and her eyes were filled with panic, while Shen Jinhuai's cold anger intensified.
Shen Jinhuai went straight to Wen Yu's side, bent down, took off his coat and draped it over the girl.
His warm, dry hands covered Wen Yu's icy hands.
“Xiaoyu,”
Shen Jinhuai's voice was slightly hoarse, yet very gentle, a stark contrast to the violence with which he had just broken down the door: "Do you want to go home?"
Before the words were even finished, the atmosphere in the apartment instantly became tense.
Zhou Shiye immediately stood up: "Shen Jinhuai, this is Xiaoyu's home, what right do you have..."
"Mr. Zhou, Attorney Zhou,"
Shen Jinhuai's tone was distant and polite, yet contained an unyielding warning: "It seems that neither of you understands what it means to 'respect' Xiaoyu's wishes. I don't want to see tonight's events repeat themselves."
Shen Jinhuai's gaze fell on the gauze on Zhou Shiye's forehead, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"If you use the self-inflicted injury trick too often, it becomes worthless."
The man's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: "On the contrary, it looks terrible."
"you……"
Zhou Shiye slammed his hand on the table in anger, but he had to suppress his rage for fear of frightening Wen Yu.
Zhou Yingchen also put down his chopsticks: "Mr. Chen, isn't it going too far to trespass on private property?"
"Aren't you the ones who have gone too far?"
Shen Jinhuai took Wen Yu's hand, gently rubbing her hand back with his thumb in a soothing manner, but his gaze toward Zhou Yingchen was extremely cold and sharp: "Using such methods to force Xiao Yu to recall a past that doesn't even exist, you two have no shame?"
How do you know it doesn't exist?
Zhou Shiye's eyes flickered, suppressing his unease, and his voice became even more excited: "That painting is the evidence, the evidence that Xiaoyu used to live here."
"What does living here before prove?"
Shen Jinhuai glanced at the painting by the French window, his eyes growing even colder.
The brushstrokes in that painting were too oppressive, reflecting the oppression of the former Wen Yu.
But Wen Yu now shouldn't go back to that past.
“President Shen, Wen Yu is the Zhou family’s adopted daughter, and that’s an undeniable fact. She needs time to reminisce about the past, not to be isolated from it by you.”
Zhou Yingchen slowly stood up, his aura turning cold.
“That’s right, Xiaoyu should stay with us. How long have you known her? My brother and I have taken care of her for so many years, we…”
That's enough.
Wen Yu's hand was held in Shen Jinhuai's palm, and her previous fear and anxiety gradually faded away.
Looking again at the painting by the window, Wen Yu took a deep breath.
"Thank you for taking care of me for so many years, but I will repay you in other ways. Now, I'm going back."
“Xiaoyu,”
“Xiaoyu,”
Zhou Shiye and Zhou Yingchen both looked at Wen Yu.
Wen Yu stopped looking at the two of them, took Shen Jinhuai's hand, and left the restaurant, heading towards the door.
As the two walked out of the apartment, Shen Jinhuai turned back and gave Zhou Shiye and Zhou Yingchen a warning look.
Holding Wen Yu's hand, he stepped into the elevator.
"sorry,"
Wen Yu threw herself into Shen Jinhuai's arms, her voice muffled: "I shouldn't have been soft-hearted and come up with him."
Shen Jinhuai didn't say anything, but hugged Wen Yu even tighter.
The man rested his chin on the top of Wen Yu's head and sighed.
"It's not your fault, it's their methods that are too despicable. They took advantage of your kindness and soft heart."
Shen Jinhuai lifted Wen Yu's face, making her look into his eyes with focused and earnest eyes.
"Xiaoyu, remember, no matter what happened in the past, no matter what they said, you have the right to choose your own life now."
"Besides, you don't owe them anything. That car accident already paid for everything. So, there's no need to feel guilty about anything they did."
Looking at the man in front of her, Wen Yu felt her self-doubt, which had arisen because of Zhou Shiye and Zhou Yingchen's words, gradually dissipate under his clear and firm gaze.
"Okay, I've got it."
Wen Yu hugged Shen Jinhuai's waist tightly.
As expected, she was still too fragile.
They are still too easily influenced.
But this incident also made Wen Yu realize that her resistance and rejection of them indicated that her past in the Zhou family was definitely not as warm as they said.
It's even possible that there's no warmth at all.
Yes, there was something, but it was something she wanted to escape from.
Meanwhile, in the apartment.
Zhou Shiye could no longer suppress his anger and slammed his fist into the wall.
After a muffled thud, the white gauze on Zhou Shiye's forehead was instantly stained red with blood.
Blood trickled down Zhou Shiye's pale face, a shocking sight.
Zhou Shiye's chest heaved violently.
He was breathing heavily, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the closed apartment door.
"elder brother!"
Zhou Shiye turned around, his voice hoarse and broken: "We just let him take her away like that? I prepared so much, but Xiaoyu, she still, she still chose that Shen Jinhuai? Why?"
Zhou Yingchen stood still, his knuckles taut and white, revealing the turbulent emotions surging beneath his icy exterior.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhou Yingchen came to the French windows, looked at the deep night outside, and slowly loosened his clenched fist.
Then, Zhou Yingchen turned and walked to the liquor cabinet, taking out two glasses and a bottle of spirits.
The amber liquid was poured into a glass, making a faint sound in the quiet apartment.
Zhou Yingchen handed one of the cups to Zhou Shiye.
Zhou Shiye looked at the wine in front of him, then at Zhou Yingchen's equally pale face, which was suppressing immense pain yet maintaining a hateful calm. He took the wine glass, tilted his head back, and drank the spicy liquid in one gulp.
The burning sensation numbed the excruciating pain in my heart.
Zhou Yingchen also drank a glass of wine.
The strong liquor made the man even more sober.
The two brothers remained silent.
For a moment, only heavy breathing and a faint smell of blood remained in the air.
Zhou Shiye raised his hand and roughly wiped away the blood and tears that were obscuring his eyes with the back of his hand. His movements were rough, and his voice was choked with emotion.
"Why? Is he so good? So good that Xiaoyu isn't even willing to linger for us in the past?"
Zhou Yingshen looked out the window again.
The man looked out the window in the direction of where Wen Yu was currently living, his jawline taut.
He gripped the wine glass tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
"When will you finally understand that our previous approach was wrong?"
Zhou Yingchen's voice was extremely hoarse: "Forcing her and imprisoning her will only make her escape further away."
Zhou Shiye looked up, his scarlet eyes filled with confusion and resentment: "Then what can we do? We gave her so much freedom, but what was the result? Did we just watch her fall into someone else's arms?"
"Brother, I don't want to give Xiaoyu her freedom anymore. I can't do it, brother, I can't do it..."
Zhou Yingmo turned around and looked at his emotionally distraught younger brother, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
"Do it even if you can't."
Zhou Yingchen's voice regained its usual coldness: "Otherwise, we will only lose Xiaoyu forever."
Zhou Yingchen walked up to Zhou Shiye, looked at the wound on his forehead that was still bleeding, and sighed.
"Take care of your injury first."
"Remember, Xiaoyu is soft-hearted. But your injury should not be used as a tool to manipulate her."
Zhou Shiye looked at Zhou Yingchen, touched the sticky blood on his forehead, and recalled the distant look in Wen Yu's eyes when she last looked at him. He sat down on the ground helplessly.
He knew that forceful measures were useless, completely ineffective.
To get closer to Wen Yu and win her back, one must humble oneself, set aside pride, and learn the methods they once scorned: patience and protection.
Zhou Shiye lowered his head dejectedly: "I understand."
·
For the next period of time, Zhou Shiye was much quieter, and Wen Yu's school life officially began.
After more than a year of absence, returning to school felt somewhat unfamiliar to Wen Yu.
Fortunately, she still had a friend at school, Gu Muqing.
After Wen Yu resumed her studies, she could only start from her second year. Unexpectedly, Gu Muqing also took a year off and is now a second-year student, in the same class as Wen Yu.
Although Wen Yu had no memory of Gu Muqing, her sunny and gentle nature felt familiar to her.
Before long, Wen Yu and Gu Muqing became good friends again.
This was a very happy thing for Wen Yu.
It seems that everything is gradually getting back on track.
Over the weekend, Wen Yu and Shen Jinhuai returned to the island.
Sunlight streamed freely onto the large terrace of the island villa, a warm, salty sea breeze blew by, and the coconut palms rustled in the distance.
Wen Yu wore a comfortable linen dress and walked barefoot on the cool wooden floor.
The easel was set up in front of me, facing the shimmering blue sea.
Leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the city, Wen Yu's brows relaxed considerably, and the colors she painted were noticeably brighter and bolder than in the previous days.
Shen Jinhuai sat on a bench not far away, with a laptop in front of him, handling some necessary remote business, but his gaze would occasionally fall on Wen Yu.
Suddenly, Wen Yu's phone, which she had left with Shen Jinhuai, rang. It was an unfamiliar number.
Shen Jinhuai put down his computer, walked over, and handed the phone to Wen Yu.
Wen Yu put down her paintbrush in confusion, glanced at Shen Jinhuai, and then answered the phone: "Hello?"
"Hello, are you Ms. Wen Yu?"
The voice on the other end of the phone was polite and professional.
"It's me. Who are you?"
"Hello Ms. Wen, this is the organizing committee for the special exhibition at the Municipal Art Museum. We are pleased to inform you that your work, 'Summer Echoes,' has been unanimously approved by the judging committee and has been granted an independent exhibition booth for this special exhibition."
"A confirmation email and information about follow-up matters have been sent to the email address you provided when you registered. Please check your inbox."
Wen Yu didn't react for a moment: "W-what? Submit a proposal? I haven't submitted any proposals. Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"There's no mistake, Miss Wen."
The other party's tone was very certain: "Your complete information and concept statement for your work are in the registration system. Professor Fu, as your recommender, has also confirmed your willingness to participate."
Professor Fu?
Her mentor?
Wen Yu was even more confused.
She did discuss the inspiration for the painting "Summer Echoes" with Professor Fu, but she never submitted a proposal to any special exhibition.
Moreover, it's a highly competitive independent booth for a special exhibition at the Municipal Art Museum.
"But I really..."
Miss Wen,
The other party interrupted Wen Yu: "This is a very rare opportunity, and I hope you will cherish it. The specific requirements and timelines for the exhibition setup are explained in the email, so please read it carefully. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I won't bother you any longer, goodbye."
The call was disconnected.
Wen Yu remained in the position of answering the phone, looking bewildered and incredulous.
"What's wrong?"
Shen Jinhuai closed his laptop, walked over, and asked with concern.
Wen Yu put down her phone, her brow furrowing slightly. "It was a call from the art museum. They said my artwork proposal has been selected for a very important special exhibition. But,"
“I never submitted an application; they said it was Professor Fu who recommended me.”
Upon hearing this, a complex emotion flickered in Shen Jinhuai's eyes.
immediately,
"Professor Fu may admire you and want to help you get an opportunity."
Shen Jinhuai pulled Wen Yu into his arms: "This is good news for you, isn't it?"
"It's a good opportunity, but..."
Wen Yu felt something was off; this unexpected windfall puzzled her greatly.
Don't overthink it.
Shen Jinhuai put his arm around Wen Yu's shoulder, making her face the vast ocean, trying to dispel her doubts: "Now that the opportunity has come, seize it. Your talent should be seen by more people."
Wen Yu leaned against Shen Jinhuai's chest, enjoying the sea breeze, and her doubts subsided somewhat.
Yes, perhaps Professor Fu helped her quietly?
This was indeed the opportunity she had been longing for.
Shen Jinhuai, out of Wen Yu's sight, had a serious look in his eyes.
He roughly understood the rules of the art world. How fierce the competition was for a special exhibition at the level of the city art museum? Could a student get an independent booth just by having a mentor's recommendation and a student's proposal that hadn't been formally submitted?
The probability is extremely low.
unless……
Shen Jinhuai's mind flashed Zhou Yingchen's indifferent and cold face, as well as Zhou Shiye's seemingly impulsive but actually stubborn eyes.
Shen Jinhuai lowered his head and kissed the top of Wen Yu's head.
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