Chapter 60 Old Love Letters "What if Zhou Yu leaves?"...
Jiang Yueying took her to a nearby restaurant for dinner. There were only the two of them in the private room. After ordering, she said, "I've read your essay from back then."
Zhou Yu sat opposite her, watching her pick up the teapot and pour tea, remaining silent for a moment. She thought the other woman would continue speaking, but Jiang Yueying only mentioned it briefly and didn't go into detail.
She casually asked, "Are you Zhou Yu, the one who writes lyrics?"
Zhou Yu had assumed Chen Jingchi's audience consisted of younger girls, but she hadn't expected her to know. A flicker of surprise crossed her mind, and she nodded, "It's me."
Then he asked, "Have you heard of it?"
“There’s a young lady at the law firm who really enjoys listening to this. She saw your name while processing a client appointment today and mentioned it briefly.” Jiang Yueying glanced at her. “I didn’t expect it to actually be you.”
Zhou Yu replied, "There are indeed very few people with the same name as me."
Jiang Yueying then asked, "Which university are you studying at now?"
“Jiangbei Communication University,” she replied.
She didn't mention the case at all, and we talked about very ordinary topics, asking her what year she was in college, what her major was, and what she planned to do after graduation.
It didn't feel like a lawyer's attitude towards a client; it was more like an approachable girl next door.
Zhou tried to answer her question one by one. As the meal was nearing its end, she finally found an opportunity to ask her, "Do you know my father?"
Jiang Yueying nodded in acknowledgment: "I know him."
Sure enough, it wasn't just because they were from the same hometown.
“It happened almost twenty years ago.” Jiang Yueying wiped her hands with a hot towel and explained to her, “At that time, I took my six-year-old sister to pick water chestnuts by the river in the village. She accidentally fell into the river. I can’t swim, and I was so scared that I sat on the ground and cried. It was your dad who happened to be passing by and rescued my sister.”
Twenty years ago, before Zhou Yu was even born, Liu Xianya told me that Zhou Jinglong had just graduated from university and worked as a grassroots civil servant in a rural area.
“Seven years ago, your father had an accident, and I had just entered the legal profession.” Jiang Yue’s English tone was calm. “After hearing what you said today, your father was really wronged, and I can’t just sit idly by.”
No wonder she was willing to take on this case; it turns out there was such a past.
“But…” Zhou Yu remembered what the previous lawyer had said, and her breathing became softer. “Aren’t you afraid…”
“When your dad jumped into the river to save my sister, I believe he didn’t even consider whether he would get hurt.” Jiang Yueying chuckled. “If good people don’t get good rewards, then no one in this world will be willing to do good deeds.”
"While I wouldn't call myself a righteous villain, I absolutely cannot stand those who disregard the law, use their privileges to frame others, and drive innocent people to the brink of despair." Jiang Yueying's gaze was sharp, and her voice was firm. "Are we just supposed to accept our bad luck and suffer in silence?"
Her words were like a bell to awaken the soul, giving Zhou Yu a jolt.
During this time, Zhou Yu increasingly realized how cruel reality could be. Some people chose to protect themselves, and no one could accuse them of anything wrong. Therefore, in addition to gratitude, she felt more admiration for Jiang Yueying, who was willing to step forward.
I admire her courage and her loyalty.
After the meal, Jiang Yueying gave her a ride back to school. Before getting out of the car, Zhou Yu thanked her sincerely.
"You're welcome." Jiang Yueying pulled up the QR code on her phone. "Add me on WeChat, and we can arrange a time when your dad comes tomorrow."
On his way back to the dormitory, Zhou Yu couldn't contain his excitement and called Zhou Jinglong to tell him that a lawyer was willing to help.
At first, Zhou Jinglong was unwilling to involve others. Zhou Yu recounted his past experience of saving people in the river, and Zhou Jinglong remained silent for a long time.
Liu Xianya's voice was somewhat distant: "I'm fine now, go and see her, don't look down on female lawyers."
“It’s not about looking down on people, it has nothing to do with whether they’re male or female.” Zhou Jinglong sighed and finally relented, “Okay, then I’ll go tomorrow.”
Zhou bought him a train ticket for the morning, booked a hotel near the school, and canceled all his subsequent lawyer meetings. With everything settled, the gloom that had been hanging over her for the past few days finally lifted somewhat, giving her a temporary sense of relief.
The next day at noon, Zhou Yu picked up Zhou Jinglong at the high-speed rail station. While the two were having lunch, she arranged to meet Jiang Yueying in the afternoon.
Zhou Jinglong remained uneasy. Zhou Yu, knowing his worries, asked, "Are you afraid that something will happen to me and Mom again?"
His brow furrowed with worry: "I'm not afraid of anything on my own, except that I might harm you all, and harm this kind-hearted lawyer."
Zhou Yu's voice softened considerably: "Have you ever thought that we're also worried about something happening to you?"
Zhou Jinglong's expression froze; he opened his mouth but no sound came out.
“I looked at some of the cases this woman was handling last night. She’s very capable, but she’s always kept a low profile,” Zhou Yu reassured him. “Don’t worry, it’s definitely safer for you to have her help than to go on the risk alone.”
Zhou Jinglong nodded heavily: "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Zhou took out his phone and forwarded the file that the counselor had sent to the group yesterday to him.
“This is a study abroad program at our school,” Zhou Yu said. “It allows students to go abroad a year earlier, without having to wait until their senior year to graduate.”
She wanted Zhou Jinglong to start collecting evidence to overturn the case as soon as possible. A year was nothing to her, but it was crucial for Zhou Jinglong.
He glanced at it and asked, "Can we go out in the second half of the year?"
Zhou Yu nodded.
"Then you and Xiao Chen..."
Zhou Yu lowered his gaze, and where he couldn't be seen under the table, his fingers clenched the hem of his clothes.
She said, "I'll talk to him tonight."
*
In the afternoon, the father and daughter met with Jiang Yueying at the law firm.
Upon hearing Zhou Jinglong's plan, she frowned slightly and said, "It would be very risky for you to handle this matter yourself. My advice is that you should not show your face in public. You can have your friends collect the evidence, and you can have unrelated people submit the materials. Alternatively, if you can find some key figures, things will be simpler."
They were jointly planning a life-changing operation, which was difficult, risky, and involved many people. The results would not be seen overnight and could take years or even decades.
Zhou Yu sat to one side, listening intently to their conversation. From the plan offered by Jiang Yueying, she finally saw a glimmer of hope.
The conversation lasted for nearly three hours. Finally, Zhou Jinglong asked, "If I only keep in touch with you via WeChat, it shouldn't expose you, right?"
Jiang Yueying smiled and said, "I'm afraid my sister-in-law won't feel safe after going abroad. I'll have two assistants follow up on this matter. We'll create a group chat so we can discuss anything in the group. If we absolutely have to meet in person, I'll have a male assistant accompany her."
"Then I'm relieved." Zhou Jinglong breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Yu's phone was on silent when it vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and saw that it was a message from Tan Bei asking if she was in the dorm and if she wanted to go to Chen Jingchi's apartment together.
She replied: "I'm outside now, I'll be there in a bit, you guys go ahead."
Tan Bei: [Okay!]
After they finished talking, the three of them got up. Jiang Yueying escorted the two of them downstairs. Before parting, she looked at Zhou Jinglong and said, "Brother, good and evil will eventually be rewarded, it's just a matter of sooner or later."
Zhou Jinglong smiled from the bottom of his heart, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes etched with the marks of time. He raised his voice and said, "Thank you."
Leaving the law firm, Zhou Jinglong knew she had a dinner appointment with Chen Jingchi that evening, so he had the taxi driver take him to his hotel first. Zhou Yu watched him get out of the car and said to him, "I'll come back tomorrow."
Arriving at the apartment a dozen minutes later, Zhou Yu was the last to arrive. Instead of entering the password directly, he knocked on the door.
Du Heng opened the door and smiled when he saw her: "It's been a long time."
Zhou Yu tugged at the corners of his lips, revealing a very faint smile: "Yes."
The boys were gathered around the sofa, painting on black T-shirts with white paint. The assistant explained to her that they were going to give the paintings away as a prize to fans on a partnered livestreaming platform. Chen Jingchi pulled her to sit down next to him and handed her the paintbrush.
Zhou hesitated to put pen to paper, asking for help: "I can't draw."
“We can’t do that either.” Zhuo Wencheng held up Zhan Li’s T-shirt. “Look at what he’s drawn. A contemporary master of abstract art.”
"What's so great about your elephant trunk?" Zhan Li snatched it away. "Don't interfere with my artistic creation."
Chen Jingchi wrapped his arm around her back, grabbed her hand, and guided her to draw a few strokes. Zhou Yu looked closely and realized that he was drawing clouds in the sky.
She dared not move, watching the clouds drift by, but her heart sank to the bottom.
After finishing the T-shirt design, the group switched to finer markers and signed their names on the back. Zhuo Wencheng knew his handwriting was bad, so he asked Tan Bei to design an artistic name for him. She suggested a few, but he wasn't satisfied with any of them, which made Tan Bei so angry that she gave up.
"Just sign whatever you want, the fans aren't doing this for you to enter the giveaway anyway."
Zhuo Wencheng gasped, "What you said is hurting my feelings!"
After Chen Jingchi finished signing his name, he asked Zhou Yu to sign next to him. His cursive handwriting was flamboyant and unrestrained, while the two characters "Zhou Yu" appeared much neater in comparison.
He added a final touch, circling the two names and drawing a heart shape.
Zhou Yu couldn't help but laugh: "You're so childish."
Chen Jingchi laughed and said, "How about we have someone design a couple's signature, so I can include you in it from now on?"
Zhou Yu remained silent. She stared at the heart he had drawn, and for some reason, her chest felt tight, as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart in waves.
He wanted to do the same on other T-shirts, but Du Heng stopped him: "Stop showing off your love, or the fans who won the prize will start cursing. Just keep this one."
Chen Jingchi reluctantly conceded, "Fine."
We had hot pot for dinner, and everyone chatted about their lives abroad these past few days, lamenting how poor the food was. Xu Yue remarked, "I've lost several pounds in the last few days."
"That's outrageous. All he lost was muscle. He'll need to spend ages at the gym to make up for it," Zhuo Wencheng sighed. "I guess instant noodles are better."
Tan Bei snorted: "Serves you right for laughing at me before."
"I wouldn't dare, you were right to have foresight," Zhuo Wencheng laughed. "I'll definitely bring more food with me when I go abroad next week."
Zhou Yu remained as quiet as ever, focusing only on eating the food Chen Jingchi had put on her plate. Occasionally, when the conversation turned to her, she would give a few simple words in response, seemingly no different from usual.
The World Tour schedule is also two shows a month: one in London at the end of March, one in Toronto and Sydney in April, and the final show in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur in May.
The male students can request a week's leave at a time, and the college knows they are on an overseas tour, so they approve the leave very quickly. However, Zhou Yu and Tan Bei cannot request leave so frequently. In addition, they have many major courses and assignments in their third year, and sometimes they have elective courses on weekends. A trip abroad takes at least two or three days, so they may have to miss the concerts.
Du Heng expressed his understanding, saying, "This is the first time. There will be many more in the future. We'll do it again after we graduate from our senior year."
Zhuo Wencheng was still thinking about his Statue of Liberty and asked, "Could you try to get it done in New York? I really want to see the Statue of Liberty."
“With such high attendance in Seattle this time, it’s sure to be a success in New York,” Xu Yue said. “Let’s give Du Heng another year to settle down.”
"Need to settle down? I'm already so arrogant, I can practically walk around the company like a hog." Du Heng laughed. "I'll go next summer!"
The more excited they were, the more frustrated Zhou Yu felt. After eating for more than an hour, Du Heng left with the boys, saying he needed to stay home and rest all day the next day.
The dining table had been cleared, and Du Heng had taken the T-shirt away. The living room and kitchen were back to normal. Zhou Yu watched Chen Jingchi throw his coat into the washing machine, waiting for the right moment to speak.
If they miss today, Chen Jingchi will be going abroad next week, and they will only be able to see each other once a month.
Since her father's release from prison last year, their time together had been counting down. She worried that Zhou Jinglong's past would be exposed and affect him, living in constant fear. Chen Jingchi's kindness softened her heart, and she was always immersed in the fantasy that nothing would happen, unwilling to come to her senses. This study abroad program was an opportunity; she knew she couldn't delay any longer.
Chen Jingchi noticed that she hesitated several times before speaking, so he put his arm around her and led her into the bathroom: "Shall we shower together?"
Zhou Yu knew that once she went inside with him, she would have even less chance to speak. She grabbed his arm, avoided his gaze, and whispered, "Let's talk."
Chen Jingchi paused, responded, pulled her to sit on the sofa, and asked, "What do you want to talk about?"
They rarely had the chance to sit down and talk like this. As his work became increasingly busy, the frequency of their meetings decreased, and the time they spent together was always limited.
Zhou Yu no longer avoided his gaze. She turned her head to look him directly in the eyes and spoke alone in the silence: "Chen Jingchi, the college has an exchange student program in Ireland, and I would like to apply."
Chen Jingchi's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "A year of exchange during senior year?"
"Study directly for a master's degree after the exchange program ends."
This scene had been rehearsed countless times in Zhou Yu's mind, playing on a loop like a movie during every sleepless night. She had anticipated every possible reaction and dialogue from Chen Jingchi, and had also come up with countless ways to respond.
Her heart had long been numbed by the stabs, which was why she could speak so calmly and without the slightest hesitation, just like tonight.
Her eyes held a resolute determination as she spoke of the worst possible outcome: "It's possible I'll stay abroad."
She cannot return to China until Zhou Jinglong's case is properly resolved.
And no one can say for sure how long this will take.
Chen Jingchi recalled her preoccupied appearance lately and asked, "Is this what you've been avoiding talking to me about lately?"
This was the only question Zhou Yu couldn't answer; she could only remain silent.
"Can't you pursue a master's degree in the country? Is there a compelling reason to go abroad?"
He recalled something Zhuo Wencheng had casually mentioned earlier and asked, "You want to write an English song for me?"
He no longer needs her; the people who write English lyrics for him are all big names in the European and American music scene. How can she compare?
Zhou Yu shook his head, staring intently at him, his voice softening slightly: "Everyone has to go out and explore the world."
The sight of her reminded Chen Jingchi of the first time he met her. In a corner of the school coffee shop, she stared at him boldly and frankly, calmly giving perfect answers to his pressing questions.
He tried to read any subtle clues from her face, but failed.
At the time, Chen Jingchi was very satisfied with her answer, and even now, he can't find any fault with it.
"So you've thought it all out on your own, instead of coming to discuss it with me." His voice lowered, and his gaze towards her dimmed. "And what about me?"
Despite being prepared, Zhou Yu's heart still ached for a moment when he heard those words.
"Chen Jingchi." She called his name, trying her best to suppress the pain, and said, "You have nothing to be afraid of now."
"Your hard work has paid off. You have lived up to everyone's expectations and won the highest honor in the music industry, proving your strength."
She responded to every word she had said to him that afternoon in the dance studio two years ago, word by word.
"You are the best I have ever seen. No one will dare to look down on you anymore. All praise and glory are directed at you. You are free to do whatever you want."
She lowered her voice and gave a faint smile, "Even if I leave, what difference does it make?"
She never mentioned it to anyone.
Two years ago, on the night Chen Jingchi lost the Golden Melody Award.
Zhou Yu went to the restroom with Tan Bei, but she forgot to bring tissues, so Zhou Yu went back to get them for her. When they returned to the private room, the door wasn't closed properly, leaving a crack. Just as she was about to push the door open, she heard the boys inside discussing her relationship with Chen Jingchi.
Zhuo Wencheng: "You and Zhou Yu..."
Chen Jingchi replied, "Friend."
Hearing this, Zhou Yu dared not rush in, fearing that his appearance would embarrass them.
She could only wait for the topic to shift away from her before looking for an opportunity to go in.
However, they were still talking about her.
Zhan Li: "If you two can continue to work together, you will be absolutely invincible. The golden duo in the Chinese music scene will definitely have to make room for you two."
At that time, the single "To My Dear You" from his second album "Migratory Birds" became a huge hit, propelling him to the top of the popularity charts, with awards and endorsements following one after another.
Everyone attributes his success to luck, but in reality, this is a song Zhou Yu wrote for her grandfather. If you really think about it, she is the biggest contributor.
Du Heng asked, "What if Zhou Yu leaves?"
Zhou wanted to look inside; this angle was perfect, and he could see Chen Jingchi's face through the crack in the door.
She wasn't sure if Du Heng was joking, but Chen Jingchi's face remained expressionless as he said, "Don't let her leave."
Zhuo Wencheng asked, "Why don't you let her leave?"
At this critical moment, Zhou Yu stared intently at him. When she saw him finally look up, she chuckled and replied, "Win her over."
A few people immediately started jeering in the private room.
She stood frozen in place, no longer having the courage to push open the door and go inside.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you so much for the landmines and nutrient solutions, everyone!! [heart][heart][heart]
Yvonne :) threw a landmine
Reader "Yvonne :)" irrigated with nutrient solution +25
Reader "Ah Leilei" watered the plant with nutrient solution +30
Reader "Yun Tun Han Han" watered the plants with 10 nutrient solution.
Reader "Lily" watered with nutrient solution +5
Reader "keyee" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
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