Chapter 60
The scorching heat of July gradually faded with a few sudden thunderstorms, and time slipped quietly into August. The sky over Jinzhou grew high, and the clouds drifted leisurely like torn cotton wool. The morning and evening breezes brought a long-lost hint of dryness, signaling that autumn was not far away.
After that celebratory dinner, Xia Wan's belongings were quietly and completely transferred piece by piece from the guest room to Jiang Yu's master bedroom. The process was as natural as a stream merging into a river; there was no formal announcement, only a tacit understanding. Their cohabitation officially began at the end of midsummer.
Mornings often begin with the hum of the coffee machine and the aroma of toast. Xia Wan usually wakes early, and she'll quietly prepare a simple breakfast. When Jiang Yu emerges from the bedroom, he'll always see her, dressed in comfortable home clothes, busy at the kitchen counter. Sunlight filtering through the window casts a warm glow around her. He'll walk over, wrap his arms around her waist from behind, and nuzzle his chin against her neck, like a lazy big cat, absorbing the day's initial energy.
"Good morning." His voice was hoarse from just waking up.
"Good morning, Master." Xia Wan smiled and patted his hand around her waist. "The milk is almost ready. Go sit down."
At the dinner table, the two would quickly scan the news and occasionally exchange a few words about the day's work schedule. Jiang Yu remained busy, but he tried to turn down unnecessary social engagements and return home on time for dinner. Xia Wan had also become busier than before, often bringing home thick documents to study or staying in his study late into the night to work on computer models.
Jiang Yu's study was large, large enough for the two of them. At night, they often each occupied a corner of the desk, he working on his cross-border merger and acquisition case, while she researched the detailed regulations for the preservation of historical buildings. The only sounds in the air were the clacking of keyboards, the turning of pages, and the steady sound of their breathing. Occasionally, when Xia Wan encountered a difficult problem, she would bite the end of her pen and frown in thought. If Jiang Yu noticed, he would temporarily put down his work, walk over, stand behind her, look at the screen, and offer a few concise suggestions. He didn't give a direct answer, but rather guided her thinking. This feeling of fighting side by side and supporting each other made Xia Wan feel that the challenges ahead were no longer so daunting.
The little details of life were also slowly becoming one. Jiang Yu was accustomed to minimalism and order, while Xia Wan, with a touch of artistic spontaneity, enjoyed piling a few half-read books in the corner of the living room and adding more and more greenery to the balcony. Jiang Yu initially subconsciously tried to put everything back in place, but seeing the "clutter" filled with the spirit of life and her eyes lighting up when she found a much-needed resource, he gradually gave up, even beginning to feel that this space filled with her traces felt more like a "home."
On a Friday night in mid-August, the two of them had just finished a week's work and were curled up on the sofa watching an old movie. Xia Wan's phone rang. It was Lin Wei.
"Wanwan! Big news!" Lin Wei's voice was as energetic as ever, even tinged with a hint of excitement. "Guess who I picked up at the airport?"
Xia Wan's heart skipped a beat as a name popped into her head. "...Shen Zhiyao?"
"Bingo!" Lin Wei lowered her voice, as if making a secret contact. "My gallery is co-hosting an international youth art exhibition, and one of the participating Nordic artists couldn't come at the last minute, so she sent a friend over. It's her! I was shocked when I got the information! Her flight just arrived this afternoon!"
Xia Wan held her phone, watching the streetlights gradually light up in the garden of the residential complex below, and was silent for a moment. What is meant to come will eventually come.
"She...alone?"
"Well, she only brought an oversized painting tube and a carry-on suitcase. She traveled light, and she looked... quite different, not quite what I imagined." Lin Wei struggled to find an adjective. "She's lost a lot of weight, and her face is a little pale, but her eyes... how should I put it? She seems to be indifferent to everything, yet also seems to be able to see through many things. She has a very artistic air. Anyway, she is completely different from the delicate girl who seemed unable to live without Jiang Yu."
Lin Wei's description made Xia Wan conjure up a vague and distant image in her mind, which she pieced together with the fragments of rumors about Shen Zhiyao in her memory.
"Did she mention Jiang Yu?"
"She mentioned that she would contact him once she was settled. Her tone was quite calm, as if she was talking to an ordinary friend." Lin Wei paused, her tone becoming serious, "Wanwan, let me tell you, this Miss Chen seems to be at a different level. You... should be mentally prepared. But don't worry, I'll always stand by you, sister!"
After hanging up the phone, Xia Wan stood on the balcony for a moment, letting the cool night breeze dispel the confusion in her heart. She wasn't afraid, but simply felt a sense of relief, a sense of "finally, it's here." Trust had been established. She believed in Jiang Yu, and in their current relationship.
Back in the living room, the movie was still going on. Jiang Yu turned his head and looked at her: "Lin Wei's call? What's going on?"
Xia Wan sat back next to him, leaning into his arms naturally, and said calmly: "Yeah. She went to the airport to pick up Shen Zhiyao."
Jiang Yu's arm around her tightened slightly, then he relaxed. "Li Mo told me she'll be arriving in the next few days. He's already arranged everything for the hotel and the exhibition."
"Lin Wei's gallery is one of the co-organizers, and she was the one who went to pick us up at the airport today," Xia Wan added.
"Yeah, I know." Jiang Yu looked down at her. In the darkness, his eyes were still clear and steady. "Don't think too much. She came back for work. We should just... treat her normally."
His calmness, as always, infected her. Xia Wan nudged herself into a more comfortable position in his arms and whispered, "I didn't think much of it. I just thought it was a little... strange." The hand of fate always seemed to connect the past and the present, unnoticed.
Over the weekend, Jiang Yu received a call from his mother. This time, Jiang's mother's tone was noticeably softer than before, even carrying a subtle hint of... prying.
"Xiao Yu, I heard... Shen Zhiyao returned to Jinzhou?" Jiang's mother's voice came through the receiver.
"Well, she came back to prepare for the art exhibition." Jiang Yu's tone was calm, as if he was stating the weather forecast.
"How is she... now? Did she come back alone?" Jiang's mother pressed, her tone carrying an instinctive wariness of "unstable factors." The storm Shen Zhiyao had once brought had clearly left a deep mark on her heart.
"It looks good. Li Mo is coordinating the specific work, so I don't know the details." Jiang Yu used little effort to achieve a significant result, limiting the information to the necessary scope.
Jiang's mother was silent for a few seconds, seemingly digesting the news, as if weighing her options. Suddenly, she changed the subject, her tone carrying a subtle, unnoticed desire to maintain the existing balance: "That Xia Wan... did she know? She's not... upset, is she?"
The question was quite insightful. After the dinner, Xia Wan's independence, composure, and professionalism clearly shifted Jiang's mother's view of her. She began to think that this girl might be more "suitable" to be by her son's side than she had imagined, at least much more reassuring than the extremely unstable Shen Zhiyao. She began to worry that the return of this "former" would disrupt the newly established "stability" that gave her some peace of mind.
Jiang Yu looked down at Xia Wan, who was leaning against him and reading quietly. His eyes softened and he said firmly, "She knows. She's very good and very sensible."
"That's good." Jiang's mother seemed relieved. She gave a few routine reminders to take care of her health and then hung up the phone.
This small episode, like a mirror, clearly reflects the shift in Jiang's mother's attitude. She no longer sees Xia Wan as a "trouble" to be eliminated, but instead subconsciously begins to protect the relationship she has just begun to accept. This subtle but real shift makes Xia Wan feel a warm sense of being included in the protection.
At work on Monday, Xia Wan received some unexpected news. The institute's leadership had called in a meeting with her. Due to her outstanding performance in the old city renovation project, particularly her innovative approach to the reinforcement of Building B-07, the institute had decided, after discussion, to promote her to deputy director of the First Design Institute. They also hoped she would spearhead the establishment of a research studio focused on the preservation and regeneration of historic buildings.
This was undoubtedly a huge recognition and opportunity, but it also meant greater responsibility and pressure. The administrative duties of deputy director would take up a significant portion of her energy, and setting up a studio from scratch would require a significant investment of time and effort.
Xia Wan's emotions were swirling. Happiness, excitement, anxiety, pressure... all sorts of emotions were woven together.
In the evening, she told Jiang Yu the news.
Jiang Yu's eyes were filled with undisguised pride after hearing this. He put down the book in his hand and pulled her to his side: "This is what you deserve. Your ability and hard work are seen by everyone."
"But... I'm afraid I can't do it well." Xia Wan leaned on his shoulder, revealing a rare hint of vulnerability. "I'm not good at administrative affairs, and this is my first time building a team..."
"No one is born with the ability," Jiang Yu patted her back gently, his voice calm and powerful, "I believe in your ability. You are professionally convincing enough, and you can learn management slowly. If necessary, I can recommend some management courses to you, or...if you have any difficulties, you can always ask me."
His support is always so specific and real, not empty comfort, but practical support.
"Besides," he paused, looking down at her with a deep gaze, "this is a very good opportunity. Your stage shouldn't be limited to being a project leader. This position, this studio, will allow you to better realize your ideas and make your voice heard."
His words, like a lamp, illuminated the fog of her path and ignited the fighting spirit within her. Yes, this was an opportunity, a chance for her to become more independent and stronger. She couldn't back down because she was afraid of a challenge.
"Okay, I'll take it." Xia Wan raised her head, her eyes becoming firm again.
As Xia Wan prepared for a new career challenge, Shen Zhiyao's exhibition preparations were also in full swing. Li Mo, incredibly efficient, had already found a suitable gallery space in the culturally rich area of Jinzhou, and installation work was about to begin.
On Friday, Xia Wan got off work early and remembered that Lin Wei mentioned that the exhibition space was nearby. For some unknown reason, she walked over.
It was a gallery located in an old-style house, with white walls and wooden floors. The space wasn't particularly large, but it was well-designed and softly lit. She walked to the door and through the glass doors saw several staff members busy inside, moving paintings and adjusting the lighting.
In the center of the gallery stood a woman in a loose black linen dress, her long, slightly curly hair, her back to the door, directing workers to hang a massive painting. The painting's base was gloomy, like burnt earth, yet above the ruins, bold, intense colors splashed across the surface, creating vibrant and eerie bands like the aurora, imbued with the intense tension of destruction and rebirth.
As if sensing the gaze outside the door, the woman slowly turned around.
It’s Shen Zhiyao.
She was thinner than in the photo, her skin pale from long periods of sunlessness. Her features were still delicate, but the innocence of her youth had faded, replaced by a more weathered, angular look and a sense of...detachment from the world. Her eyes were large, with pale pupils. When she looked at someone, they seemed unfocused, yet seemed to penetrate the surface and see through to the core.
Her eyes met Xia Wan's in the air.
There was no expected hostility or scrutiny. Shen Zhiyao simply tilted her head slightly, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. Then, she unexpectedly gave Xia Wan a very faint, yet unusually pure smile. That smile was free of any impurities, like a ray of sunlight suddenly appearing on the snowy plains of Northern Europe, clean yet distant.
Xia Wan was caught off guard and stood there in a daze.
Shen Zhiyao turned back as if nothing had happened and continued to concentrate on her painting, as if the smile just now was just a casual thought that came to her mind, just like the unrestrained brushstrokes on her canvas, which came and went without leaving any trace.
Xia Wan stood outside, the cool autumn breeze ruffling her hair and the hems of her clothes. She looked at the figure in the gallery, completely immersed in her own artistic world, and a strange feeling suddenly arose in her heart. Shen Zhiyao, perhaps, had truly moved on from that turbulent and mutually destructive past, finding her own order and freedom in the world of ruins and aurora she had constructed with her brush.
She herself stands at a new starting point in her life. The responsibilities of deputy director, the challenges of a new studio, a stable and in-depth relationship with Jiang Yu, and this ex who seems to come from another planet... The future is full of unknowns, but also full of infinite possibilities.
As autumn deepened, the night breeze took on a distinct chill. Xia Wan gathered her coat closer and turned away, blending into the night. Her steps were steady and deliberate. No matter what lay ahead, she was ready to embrace it, to experience it, and to grow.
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