Chapter 35. Jin Huai is my husband, he lives here with me...
The air seemed to freeze for a moment, and Wen Yu's heart tightened.
On the screen, Zhou Yingchen's gaze at Wen Yu was extremely oppressive.
For a fleeting moment, the terrifying, suffocating feeling suddenly swept over her, quickly engulfing her entire body.
She gripped Shen Jinhuai's hand tighter.
The touch beneath her palm was real and warm. Wen Yu lowered her eyes and saw the man's hand that she was holding.
She turned to look at Shen Jinhuai, whose gaze upon her was as gentle and tender as ever.
The tension deep in Wen Yu's heart gradually eased. She pursed her lips and took a deep breath.
"Xiaoyu,"
The sound from the other end of the screen continued.
"As long as you come back, the conflict between the Zhou family and the Shen family will end here."
Zhou Yingchen's voice was calm and persuasive: "Otherwise, I wouldn't mind using the Zhou family to wear down Shen Jinhuai."
Wen Yu's emotions, which had just relaxed, tightened again.
She understood what Zhou Yingchen meant.
This is the most direct and least damaging way to end the escalating conflict surrounding her.
Although she didn't remember the Zhou family's power or Zhou Yingchen's methods, she could sense some of it from the fear of the past and Shen Jinhuai's increasingly exhausted state.
If the confrontation continues, Shen Jinhuai will face even greater pressure.
She couldn't let Jin Huai bear all of this alone.
She wanted to protect him.
Sensing Wen Yu's wavering, Shen Jinhuai tightened his grip on her waist.
Wen Yu looked at Shen Jinhuai again.
Noticing the growing unease in the man's eyes as her silence deepened, Wen Yu gently patted Shen Jinhuai's hand, giving him a reassuring look, before turning to look at Zhou Yingchen on the screen.
"Okay, I promise you, I'll go back."
A simple sentence stirred up a storm in Shen Jinhuai's eyes.
He nervously gripped Wen Yu's hand, his eyes filled with disbelief.
On the other side of the screen, Zhou Shiye shouted with ecstasy.
"Really? That's great, Xiaoyu. Wait for me, I'll come pick you up right now."
Zhou Yingchen, standing beside him, appeared much more composed.
The man seemed unsurprised by the answer, but his hand, which hung naturally at his sides off the screen, clenched so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
Then the next moment,
"but,"
On the screen, Wen Yu turned and kissed Shen Jinhuai on the corner of his mouth. When she looked at the screen again, her expression was even more determined: "My condition for going back is that you cannot stop me from being with Jinhuai. He is my choice, and I hope you can respect that and not interfere. Moreover, he must come back with me."
Upon hearing this, the gloom in Shen Jinhuai's eyes instantly vanished.
He relaxed, gazing deeply into the girl in his arms with disbelief.
“Xiaoyu…”
Shen Jinhuai called Wen Yu's name in a low voice, his hoarse voice carrying a hint of lingering joy.
"impossible."
Unlike Shen Jinhuai, who was restraining his excitement, Zhou Shiye's furious roar came from the screen.
Through the screen, his eyes bloodshot, he pointed at Shen Jinhuai: "Be with him? He wants to come back with you? Absolutely not. Xiaoyu, do you know what kind of person he is? He's not good enough for you at all, he..."
"Tokino".
Zhou Yingchen firmly held down Zhou Shiye, who was about to pounce on the screen.
He stared intently at Wen Yu's face on the screen. Seeing that she didn't seem to be testing him, but rather that her clear eyes were filled with determination, Zhou Yingchen's heart sank.
Zhou Yingchen glanced at Shen Jinhuai, who was holding Wen Yu, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes, but his face remained expressionless.
A suffocating silence filled the yacht.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhou Yingchen parted his thin lips slightly and responded in a voice that was almost like gritting his teeth: "Okay."
"elder brother?"
Zhou Shiye turned to look at Zhou Yingchen with a mixture of shock and anger, unable to believe that he had agreed so easily.
Zhou Yingchen stared straight at Wen Yu, speaking in a gentler tone: "Xiao Yu, we respect your choice. On the condition that you go home first."
As long as Wen Yu is willing to go home, everything else can be discussed in the long run.
Wen Yu looked into Zhou Ying's deep, unfathomable eyes, and a sense of unease swept through her heart.
But since the words had already been spoken, and Shen Jinhuai was by her side, she was not afraid of anything.
Moreover, this is currently the only way to ease the intense conflict between the two sides.
Wen Yu nodded: "Okay. I will go back."
Shen Jinhuai, who was standing next to Wen Yu, had many concerns, especially about the wariness behind Zhou Yingchen's "good" words. However, Wen Yu was willing to face the past for him, which made it impossible for him to object anymore.
Shen Jinhuai pulled Wen Yu into a tighter embrace, giving her strength.
"I will have someone contact Mr. Shen to make the specific arrangements."
After saying this, Zhou Yingchen gave Wen Yu one last deep look before decisively cutting off the communication.
At the same moment the screen went dark, Zhou Shiye swung his hand forcefully and punched Zhou Yingchen hard.
"You agreed to her? Zhou Yingchen, you actually agreed to her?"
Ignoring the excruciating pain in his injured arm, Zhou Shiye gripped Zhou Yingchen's tie tightly with both hands: "You want to see Xiaoyu with Shen Jinhuai? Let me tell you, I don't want to, I won't accept it."
Zhou Yingchen licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, glanced down at the tie that Zhou Shiye was holding, and forcefully pushed the man away.
He got up from the ground, straightened his suit cuffs, and moved with composure.
“I said,”
Zhou Yingchen's voice was cold: "Let Xiaoyu go home first."
"go home?"
Zhou Shiye's chest heaved violently, his angry tone full of doubt: "So what if she went home? Do you want Shen Jinhuai to stay in the Zhou family? To let him and our Xiaoyu be inseparable in the Zhou family?"
"The first step is for them to come back. Once they're back, they're within our sight."
Zhou Yingchen coldly looked towards the island outside the cabin, his voice devoid of any warmth: "As for Shen Jinhuai? He has his weaknesses, his company, his projects, everything he cherishes will become his shackles. I will make Shen Jinhuai understand that the Zhou family is not a place he can gain a foothold in just by coming in. As long as Xiaoyu returns to the Zhou family, many things will no longer be up to Shen Jinhuai."
At this point, Zhou Yingchen made a phone call: "Make arrangements so that starting tomorrow morning, my mother cannot appear at the old house."
at the same time,
On the island, in the study, the computer screen went dark.
The study was quiet, with only the intertwined breathing of the two people embracing each other.
"You scared me, Xiaoyu."
Shen Jinhuai's deep, trembling voice rang in Wen Yu's ear: "When you agreed to go back, I thought you didn't want me anymore."
Upon hearing this, Wen Yu shifted slightly in the man's arms.
She tilted her head back, reached out and touched Shen Jinhuai's cheek, her fingertips gently rubbing against the man's face: "Silly boy, do you have so little faith in me?"
"I am... insecure about myself."
Shen Jinhuai lowered his eyelashes, his thick lashes casting a shadow on his lower eyelids, and his sharply defined jawline was taut: "I'm afraid you'll forget me again."
"fool."
Wen Yu hugged Shen Jinhuai tightly, feeling sorry for him: "I'm going back not to leave you, but to make our relationship public."
“We got married, we had a wedding, you are my husband, so I want them to know that you... are my choice, and I will not agree to any attempt to separate us and will fight back.”
Shen Jinhuai stared at Wen Yu, his eyes swirling with complex emotions.
“I understand what you mean. But Zhou Yingchen’s current acceptance is just a delaying tactic.”
"I know."
Wen Yu nodded, her eyes holding a tenderness that Shen Jinhuai had seen long ago: "But I have to go out and I have to go back. I need to know what happened in the past, I need to remember you, and I need to create a future with you that belongs to us. Jinhuai, believe me, and believe in us. No matter where I am, my heart will always be with you."
Before Wen Yu could finish speaking, Shen Jinhuai swallowed all his apprehension and lowered his head to kiss her forehead.
The man's warm, trembling lips lingered on Wen Yu's lips.
Wen Yu closed her eyes, obediently opened her mouth, and responded gently.
Wen Yu knew that once she stepped off this island and into the Zhou family, it would mean that another war without gunpowder had just begun.
But no matter what, it's not a reason for her to continue running away.
There are some things, some things from the past, that she needs to know.
·
The next day, the sky was overcast, with leaden-gray clouds hanging low, making it hard to breathe.
Several black cars with sleek, hard lines drove silently onto the island and stopped in front of the main villa.
The entourage sent by the Zhou family silently demonstrated their power of control.
Inside the villa, Shen Jinhuai opened the door for Wen Yu.
The man was wearing a dark gray suit today, exuding a cool and aloof demeanor that complemented the gloomy weather.
He held Wen Yu's hand tightly and whispered to her before she walked out the door, "Remember what I said. No matter what happens, stay calm, think carefully, I'm here."
Wen Yu nodded.
Today she wore an elegant off-white dress, with a thin woolen coat that Shen Jinhuai insisted she wear over it.
Perhaps due to excessive nervousness, Wen Yu's palms were cold, but her eyes remained relatively calm.
Stepping out the gate, Wen Yu saw Zhou Yingchen and Zhou Shiye already standing next to the lead car.
Zhou Yingchen wore a crisp black suit and had an indifferent expression.
Zhou Shiye was wearing a well-tailored dark blue casual suit, without a tie, and his shirt collar was casually open. His arm in a cast made him look less arrogant and more disheveled, but when he looked at Wen Yu, the eagerness and possessiveness in his eyes were not diminished at all.
"Xiaoyu".
Zhou Yingchen spoke first, pausing briefly on her and Shen Jinhuai's clasped hands before moving away: "Get in the car."
"No need, we have a car."
Wen Yu gave a polite smile and tightened her grip on Shen Jinhuai's hand.
"But……"
Zhou Shiye wanted to step forward to stop Wen Yu, but was stopped by a look from Zhou Yingchen. He could only stand there unwillingly, staring intently at Wen Yu.
Wen Yu stopped looking at Zhou Shiye and Zhou Yingchen, took a deep breath, and took Shen Jinhuai's hand as they walked toward the car next to them.
Shen Jinhuai opened the car door for Wen Yu, helped her into the car, and then got in from the other side. He smoothly fastened Wen Yu's seatbelt, openly displaying their intimacy.
Zhou Yingchen watched this scene without any change in his expression, then turned and got into the car.
Zhou Shiye glared at Shen Jinhuai before reluctantly getting into the car.
The convoy slowly drove away from the villa and onto the dedicated helipad.
Shen Jinhuai took Wen Yu's hand and boarded the private jet, heading towards the unknown.
The atmosphere inside the plane was rather oppressive.
As Wen Yu watched the seascape rushing past the airplane window, the island that had brought her and Shen Jinhuai a brief period of peace gradually shrinking, a sense of indescribable melancholy welled up in her heart.
"Don't be afraid."
Shen Jinhuai placed his hand on Wen Yu's hand, his warm palm conveying strength: "Wherever we are, that's where home is."
Wen Yu turned to look at Shen Jinhuai, forcing a not-so-relaxed smile: "Mm."
The journey was long and silent.
Upon arriving in City A, the vehicle drove towards a quiet, old villa area in the western part of the city.
Here, towering ancient trees shelter high walls and deep courtyards. The exquisite and expensive gates open, and the convoy drives in, stopping in front of a magnificent mansion with a blend of Chinese and Western styles.
This is the Zhou family's old residence.
Every brick and tile here exudes the weight of history and strict rules.
A servant was already waiting respectfully at the door.
Zhou Yingchen got out of the car first, and Zhou Shiye followed immediately.
"Your room is ready, it's the same one you used to live in, and it's cleaned every day."
Zhou Yingchen said to Wen Yu, who got out of Shen Jinhuai's car, "I'll take you inside."
As Wen Yu looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar old house in front of her, some vague fragments from the depths of her memory stirred, bringing a slight dizziness and palpitations.
She swayed slightly and instinctively moved closer to Shen Jinhuai.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Zhou, but it's not necessary."
Shen Jinhuai hugged Wen Yu tightly, his voice calm and distant: "Xiao Yu is used to me taking care of her."
Zhou Shiye, who was standing next to him, could no longer restrain himself and immediately exploded: "Shen Jinhuai, this is my home, and it's none of your business to tell me what to do."
"Tokino".
Zhou Yingchen looked coldly at Shen Jinhuai and calmly stopped him, saying, "Mr. Shen is a guest, so naturally we should treat him with the courtesy due to a guest. However, a guest should follow the host's lead, shouldn't he?"
Zhou Yingchen's words were perfectly watertight.
They maintained a polite facade while subtly emphasizing that this was the Zhou family residence.
"Since we're guests, we should go along with the host's arrangements,"
Wen Yu took a deep breath and stepped forward to block Shen Jinhuai: "Isn't it fine if he takes my look?"
"Xiaoyu?"
Zhou Shiye looked at Wen Yu in shock and hurt: "He..."
Zhou Shiye wanted to say something, but Zhou Yingchen grabbed his wrist to stop him.
Zhou Shiye turned his gaze away resentfully.
"I'll take you in."
Zhou Yingchen's prominent Adam's apple bobbed as he suppressed all his emotions.
The servant led the way, drawing people through the winding corridors to the door of the leftmost bedroom on the second floor.
The room was large and decorated exquisitely and elegantly, filled with a girlish atmosphere; clearly, it had been carefully designed.
But within this refinement lies a sense of being meticulously arranged, lacking vitality and order.
"Look, it's all arranged the way you used to like."
Zhou Shiye followed behind, speaking as if seeking credit.
Wen Yu looked around at the expensive furnishings, the soft carpet, the lace curtains...
These things didn't evoke the slightest impression in her; instead, they created an overwhelming sense of suffocation.
This was completely different from the space on the island where she and Shen Jinhuai had shared many memories and could relax freely.
"Thanks."
Wen Yu responded politely.
Zhou Shiye was somewhat disappointed by Wen Yu's coldness.
He wanted to say more, but Zhou Yingchen spoke first: "Xiaoyu, take a rest first, I'll call you for dinner."
Then, Zhou Yingchen turned to Shen Jinhuai: "Mr. Shen, I'm sorry, there aren't many rooms in this building. Your guest room is in the next courtyard. I'll have someone take you there."
Is this to separate them?
Shen Jinhuai's eyes sharpened.
Just as she was about to speak, Wen Yu took Shen Jinhuai's hand first, her tone gentle but firm: "No need to trouble yourself, Mr. Zhou. Jinhuai is my husband, he can stay here with me."
Before Wen Yu could finish speaking, the air froze.
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