Chapter 55 [VIP]
Xu Ying carried a dark gray travel bag, her indifferent gaze sweeping over Han Shu and Wen Zhiyu before finally settling on the newly hung nameplate.
"Mom, why are you here at this hour?" Han Shu asked nervously, biting her lip, her heart pounding. Her entrepreneurial plan had only just begun and hadn't even made a name for itself when her boyfriend was exposed. She couldn't imagine the fierce attack Ms. Xu would launch with her cameras and microphones.
Xu Ying remained expressionless, her tone as still as a stagnant pool, "Come and take a look when you're free this weekend."
After saying that, she brushed past Han Shu, passed by Wen Zhiyu without saying a word, and went straight into the store.
Since returning to Hainan Island, Han Shu has been contacting her parents every day or two to inquire about her health and work. She can sense a subtle change in her parents' attitude; for example, they are no longer insisting that she return to Beicheng to find a job, nor do they criticize her aimless wandering.
Of course, the cold snort still spoke volumes about his attitude.
Therefore, Han Shu hurriedly followed, grabbed Wen Zhiyu's hand, and whispered, "You go back first."
Wen Zhiyu's dark eyes narrowed, and his already somewhat stiff features tightened even more. He grabbed Han Shu's wrist with his other hand, "It's not appropriate to leave without saying goodbye."
“My mom came without saying hello.” Han Shu glanced inside and saw Xu Ying looking at the photo wall. “We’ll talk about it later. You should go home first today.”
Wen Zhiyu opened his mouth, "Since Auntie has come all this way, we should at least show her the proper hospitality—"
Han Shu shoved him down the steps in a few quick movements, waving his hand hastily, "No need, hurry up and go!"
Wen Zhiyu staggered to her feet, about to say something, when she saw her wink and give a warning look, "Hurry up!!!"
"Han Shu".
The beaded curtains collided, and Xu Ying's voice came through.
"Hey, I'm here!" Han Shu responded, then waved to Wen Zhiyu with the back of his hand facing outwards before turning around and running into the shop.
Xu Ying sat at the table opposite the bar, facing the door, taking in everything, and said lightly, "What? Afraid I'll make things difficult for him?"
Han Shu coughed lightly, "No."
"Then why don't you introduce it?" Xu Ying tapped the table lightly.
Seeing her tense face, Han Shu's heart sank even further. She knew Xu Ying's personality all too well, and Wen Zhiyu wasn't exactly a smooth talker or a social butterfly either. Plus, she hadn't mentioned her relationship to her parents. With so many factors combined, introducing him rashly would only invite ridicule.
Wen Zhiyu was well aware of his good qualities. But it would take some effort to make Xu Ying realize them. And who knew, Xu Ying might even blame him for her business venture.
Xu Ying raised her eyebrows, her gaze stern. "I'm asking you a question."
Han Shu didn't hesitate and nodded first, "Wen Zhiyu, 27 years old. My boyfriend."
Then he took out his phone, typed "Wen Zhiyu" into the browser and pressed search, revealing the screen as he said softly, "He is an excellent young writer."
Xu Ying narrowed her eyes, then browsed through her phone. "When did this happen?"
"We've been dating for less than two months, but we've known each other for six months... How did you know I was here?"
"They borrowed my dowry and didn't even say anything. Can't a mother check?" Xu Ying sneered, raising a finger and circling the room. "This is your shop?"
The whole story was too complicated for Han Shu to know where to begin. Just then, Xiao Yu and Hedgehog came in through the front door. She gestured, "Could you please set up a table on the beach? I'll leave the shop to you two this morning."
"No problem." Xiaoyu glanced at the time. "Planning to practice for a while?"
"Okay." Han Shu then went over today's class schedule and told Hedgehog to change the drink menu before explaining to Xu Ying, "I'm going to change into my swimsuit. Want to see what I've accomplished in the last six months?"
Xu Ying remained noncommittal.
Han Shu deftly leaped over the waves and entered the waiting area. The coastline seemed distant, and the people on the beach became tiny dots. Surrounded by the vast sea and sky, she sat alone at the stern of the board, finding solace in the boundless tranquility, and her tension gradually subsided.
She wanted Xu Ying to see her life firsthand, to understand her passions and perseverance, and to feel her joy and freedom.
Leaving behind the cubicles and the square computer screens, the world is irregular and boundless.
Life is the same.
The wave is coming.
Han Shu moved at the same speed as the wind, surrounded by white waves and azure sea. She took a few steps toward the head of the board, her hind leg slightly bent and close to her front leg, her arms outstretched naturally, like an eagle soaring between the sea and the sky.
Wen Zhiyu walked slowly across the beach, and after Han Shu finished surfing a big wave, she went around the parasol, bowed slightly, and said, "Hello, Auntie."
Xu Ying was momentarily surprised, but quickly concealed it beneath her serious exterior. "Who are you?"
“Wen Zhiyu, Han Shu’s…” Wen Zhiyu paused, “…boyfriend.”
Xu Ying's expression was scrutinizing, and her tone was sharp and pointed, "You fled in panic just now, what's the meaning of coming to find me now?"
The sea breeze lifted the collar of Wen Zhiyu's black shirt, and he raised his hand to smooth it down. "I'm sorry, Auntie, I didn't realize it at the time. I should have greeted you. It was my fault."
Xu Zi didn't mention anything, or even give him a second glance. "Alright, I've said goodbye, you can go now."
Wen Zhiquan lowered his eyes, but his tone was particularly firm. "Perhaps in your eyes this club is a waste of time and not a proper business, but this is Xiaoshu's own life, her own life. I know you care about Xiaoshu and hope that she will be successful in her career and have a happy life. So, let's hear her true thoughts."
“You mean,” I scoffed, “you’ve known her for so long, and what right do you have to say such things?”
Wen Zhiyu remained silent for a moment. Things were constantly changing. The Han Shu of today was different from the Han Shu who had just resigned six months ago, and also different from the Han Shu who had only known her for six months twenty-five years ago. She really had no right to say much.
Xu Ying finally looked at him directly. The man's face was cold and stern, as indifferent and aloof as his tone of voice. But she noticed that every time he mentioned the words "Minor Heat," a smile would unconsciously spread across his face. It was a smile that he himself was unaware of, an instinctive one.
She stared at them for a while, then asked, "How did you two meet?"
Wen Zhiyu's eyes lit up. "During the typhoon, she checked into my guesthouse."
Xu Ying paused for a moment, "You two live together?"
"..." Wen Zhiyu was speechless. "They live in the same villa."
"Living together." Xu Ying emphasized, "Are you a native of Hainan Island?"
"No, I'm settling down here," Wen Zhiyu replied truthfully.
Xu Ying then asked, "What if we go back to Beicheng after the Lesser Heat?"
"Wherever she goes, I'll go," Wen Zhiyu said without hesitation.
"Easy for you to say." Xu Ying smiled meaningfully. "Besides, it seems your relationship isn't at that level yet, so it's too early to talk about these things."
When Wen Zhiyu recalled Han Shu's resolute and anxious manner in driving him away, his internal organs ached terribly. But he suppressed all his worries beneath a calm exterior and said in a deep voice, "I will follow Xiaoshu's pace in this relationship. But I want you to know that as long as I'm with her, I'm willing to go anywhere and do anything. This is my attitude, and this is my determination."
As the sun grew stronger, more surfers appeared. Han Shu emerged from the sea, dragging his surfboard to a parasol. "Mom, what would you like to drink? I'll make it when I get back."
Xu Ying, who was resting her chin on her hand, snapped out of her reverie upon hearing this and said, "No need."
Han Shu brushed her wet hair aside, and after noticing her gaze, she tugged at the hem of her swimsuit. In Ms. Xu's eyes, a one-piece halter swimsuit was equivalent to indecent behavior.
Just when she thought she was going to get a scolding, Xu Ying suddenly asked, "Now that you've opened this shop, are you still planning to go back to Beicheng?"
Han Shu was taken aback. "Mom, I've just opened a shop and I'm quite busy. Plus, Wen Zhiyu is here too, so I'd like to stay on Hainan Island for the time being. As for the future... I haven't thought that far ahead yet. But I will definitely go back to see you and Dad regularly."
"You want to stay here because of your boyfriend?"
"He is one of the reasons, but not the only one."
Xu Ying still didn't get angry. She got up and walked towards the roadside, saying, "That young man just came to see me and said he's willing to go to Beicheng for you."
Upon hearing this, Han Shu loosened his grip, and the surfboard he had just picked up plunged back into the scalding sand.
Back at the club, she didn't even bother to rinse off the sand on her body; she picked up her phone and dialed Wen Zhiyu's number.
"Minor Heat?"
Two gentle male voices came from the receiver and her right side, respectively, echoing in her mind.
Han Shu turned her head and saw Wen Zhiyu walking out from the shade of the trees, his eyes filled with a focused gaze that Han Shu couldn't understand. Of course, she didn't have the patience to try to decipher it.
A surge of inexplicable impatience and anger welled up within her. She strode over, her brow furrowed as she demanded, "Why did you go to see my mother without my permission? What makes you think you can just say you're willing to come to Beicheng with me?!"
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