Reunion
Inside the banquet hall, crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow, and the air was filled with the mingled aroma of expensive champagne, cigars, and fine perfume. This was an in-house business gala for a top luxury brand, and the invitees were the rich and powerful: many were group presidents, investors, and celebrity spokespeople carefully selected by the brand owners to match their image and style.
Shen Yu stood in a slightly alienated corner, holding a glass of champagne, almost untouched. He was wearing a tailor-made dark gray suit, the fabric was low-key but the texture was extraordinary, which made him look tall and straight, and his temperament was calm.
He's not some newly minted star who shot to fame overnight. Instead, he's spent six years steadily ascending from a minor supporting role to a renowned actor. With hit dramas and awards under his belt, his acting skills and reputation are the foundation of his success, not just pure popularity. At this moment, he wore a polite smile as he interacted with several brand executives and directors who had come to greet him. His words were polite and his demeanor was neither humble nor overbearing.
Yet, only he knew that beneath this decorum and composure lay a tiredness and emptiness he had long since become accustomed to. For him, these occasions of drinking and socializing were merely an extension of his work. He skillfully played the role of actor Shen Yu, just as he had every other role he had played over the past six years.
The social event came to an end, he breathed a sigh of relief, signaled his assistant not to follow him, and walked alone to the relatively quiet corridor, ready to rest and wait for the dinner to officially begin.
At the end of the corridor was a small, temporary lounge area for VIP guests. There weren't many people there at the moment, just a few assistant-looking people and... a small figure standing alone next to a large potted plant.
It was a little girl, about five or six years old, wearing a delicate white dress, like an elf that had accidentally fallen into the mortal world. She seemed a little bored, fiddling with the tulle trim on the hem of her dress, her large, bright eyes curiously surveying this dazzling yet unfamiliar world.
Shen Yu's eyes passed by unintentionally, and then suddenly froze. His steps stopped involuntarily.
That little face was as delicate as a piece of jade, with delicate features like a doll, as if she was carved from the same mold as me.
And those eyes - round, sparkling, a clear and warm brown, with a natural slightly upturned arc at the end of the eyes... They were very much like the eyes of the woman deep in his memory, the one he had given everything to admire and love, but who had pushed him into the abyss.
The intuition of blood relationship was like a lightning bolt, splitting the calm appearance he had carefully constructed over the years and striking the deepest part of his soul. A violent tremor, a mixture of shock, doubt and a certain terrible hope, instantly swept over him.
He almost unconsciously walked towards the little girl, completely ignoring the fact that this might not be the right time. He squatted down and tried to make his voice sound gentle and friendly:
"Little boy, what's your name? Why are you here alone? Where are your parents?"
The little girl looked up at him, not at all nervous. Instead, she blinked her beautiful big eyes and said in a clear voice, "Mom has work to do, so she asked me to wait for her here. My name is Lin Nian! Uncle, I've seen you on TV!"
Lin Nian...surname Lin...
Shen Yu felt his breathing suddenly tighten, and a cold chill and a burning sensation rushed up his spine at the same time. He struggled to maintain a calm expression on his face, but his voice couldn't help but become tense: "Oh? Have you seen me?"
The little girl tilted her head and thought seriously: "Well! Mom sometimes watches your movies!" As she said that, she suddenly stood on tiptoe and waved excitedly in the direction behind Shen Yu, "Mom! Mom! I'm here! I saw Uncle Shen Yu!"
boom--
It was as if the sounds of the entire world faded away in an instant.
Shen Yu felt as if all the blood in his body rushed to his head in an instant, and then completely froze in the next second. He turned his head inch by inch, following the direction of the little girl's sight, very slowly, almost stiffly.
Time seemed to be infinitely stretched at this moment.
The light at the other end of the corridor was a little dim, but that didn't prevent him from recognizing the woman who had just stopped and was looking over here.
Lin Qingyue.
Six years seemed to have left few marks on her, instead adding a touch of mature womanly grace. She wore a neatly cut pearl-white satin dress that outlined her exquisitely curvaceous figure. Her long hair was tied up, revealing her elegant swan neck. Her entire figure seemed to be radiating, cool and noble. She resembled the woman in his memory who had led him out of the quagmire, yet she seemed even more distant and unattainable.
And the moment her eyes met him and the little girl beside him——
The calmness and composure she usually wore suddenly shattered. The delicate handbag in her hand fell to the soft carpet with a dull thud.
Shen Yu stood up slowly, his eyes fixed on Lin Qingyue, and walked towards her step by step.
Every step he took seemed to be stepping on the pain, unwillingness, longing and resentment that had accumulated over the past six years, and it also seemed like he was walking step by step towards an explanation that he had been waiting for six years.
He finally stood in front of her, close enough to see her slightly trembling eyelashes and even feel her momentary disordered breathing.
He looked at her, thousands of words swirling and roaring in his chest, but in the end, they only turned into a suppressed whisper, trembling with disbelief and great pain:
"Lin Qingyue..."
"Is this the reason why you left without saying goodbye?"
There seemed to be gazes cast at her from all around, with exploration and curiosity, but she didn't care at all. In her world, only Shen Yu's eyes were left - the eyes that were once full of dependence and love, but now only had broken pain and sharp questioning.
The composure she'd cultivated through years of business life crumbled at that moment. Almost instinctively, she bent down to pick up her handbag, her fingertips cold and trembling. She took a deep breath and forced herself to straighten her back, even though her heart was beating wildly, threatening to burst out of her chest.
"Mr. Shen," she tried to keep her voice steady, but inevitably carried a hint of barely perceptible tension, "Long time no see. I didn't expect to see you here."
She deliberately ignored the most crucial question, and her eyes quickly swept over Lin Nian, her daughter, who was leaning against her legs and looking at Shen Yu curiously with her eyes wide open. She had to leave here immediately.
"Niannian, it's time for us to go home." She tried to pull her daughter's hand, her voice softer but with unquestionable urgency.
However, Shen Yu's movements were faster. He stepped forward and grabbed Lin Qingyue's wrist, his voice muffled because of his strong restraint: "Lin Nian?"
This name, like a key, instantly opened Pandora's box. Longing, resentment, speculation, all the surging emotions almost overwhelmed him.
Lin Qingyue's heart sank suddenly, and she subconsciously protected her daughter tightly behind her. "Mr. Shen, please be mindful of the occasion." Her tone became cold, with a clear warning, "This is my daughter, it has nothing to do with you."
"It has nothing to do with me?" Shen Yu chuckled. He looked up at Lin Qingyue, with a terrifying red thread in his eyes. "Lin Qingyue, look at her face and tell me, she has nothing to do with me?!"
His voice unconsciously rose a few notches, drawing puzzled glances from two men who were talking not far away.
Lin Qingyue pursed her lips. The situation she feared most was happening in the most uncontrollable way. She couldn't get entangled with him here, and she couldn't let anyone, especially her daughter, notice anything unusual.
"Mr. Shen, I'm afraid you've had too much to drink, which has led to unnecessary misunderstandings." She forced herself to calm down, her tone becoming more distant and official. "I admire your work, but that's no reason for you to talk nonsense. Excuse me."
She no longer gave him any chance to speak, and almost half-forcefully, she grabbed the still somewhat confused Lin Nian's hand and turned to leave.
"She is six years old, right?" Shen Yu's voice sounded behind her, not loud, but piercing her eardrum accurately, "The time is just right. Lin Qingyue, don't you have anything to say to me?"
Lin Qingyue's back stiffened for a moment, and she quickened her pace, almost fleeing towards the banquet hall's exit. She could feel the gaze behind her, like a physical object, nailed to her back, burning, painful, and filled with unwilling questioning.
Lin Nian seemed to sense her mother's unusual nervousness and asked softly, "Mom, do you know that handsome uncle? He seems a little sad..."
"He is an... unimportant stranger." Lin Qingyue's voice was dry.
She walked quickly through the crowd of people drinking and ignoring the few voices trying to greet her. At this moment, she just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible and find a safe space.
Finally, she settled into the Rolls-Royce waiting at the door. The car door blocked out the outside world, and Lin Qingyue leaned back against the soft leather seat, breathing lightly. The neon lights outside the car window streamed past, illuminating her pale face.
"Mom, what's wrong with you? Your hands are so cold." Lin Nian patted her hands and touched her cheek.
Her daughter's soft, warm touch brought her back to reality. She forced a smile and held her daughter's hand. "Mom's fine. I'm just a little tired."
She told the driver to drive, then closed her eyes tiredly. However, Shen Yu's painful eyes and his words "She is six years old, right?" flashed uncontrollably in her mind.
He actually remembered it so clearly.
It's not like she hadn't paid attention to him over the past six years. From his initial minor roles in low-budget web dramas to his gradual rise to more prominent supporting roles, to winning the Best Newcomer award for a niche art film, and finally rising to the top with those two hit dramas... She practically watched him struggle and blossom in the entertainment industry.
She watched him become more and more dazzling and his temperament more and more calm. She thought he was living a good life, had walked out of the shadow of the past, and started a new and brilliant life.
Therefore, she can take care of her daughter with peace of mind and tell herself that her decision was correct.
But tonight, the pain and despair in his eyes shattered her self-righteousness.
That's not the look a successful, complacent person should have. The things contained in them are too heavy, too heavy.
Could it be... that she was wrong?
As soon as this thought came to her mind, she felt a sharp panic. She opened her eyes abruptly and looked out the window at the night scene passing by, trying to suppress the uneasiness surging in her heart.
No, she couldn't waver. Now that things had come to this, there was no turning back. Everything Shen Yu had now, his reputation, his status, his future, could not withstand the impact of any scandal. An illegitimate daughter who appeared out of nowhere was enough to destroy everything he had. And she could never let her daughter be exposed to the public's prying eyes and gossip.
She must be calmer and more decisive than him.
…
On the other side, Shen Yu was still standing there. The air around him seemed to have just started to flow again, but he felt even colder. The assistant approached cautiously: "Brother Shen, are you okay? Was that Mr. Lin from the Lin Group just now? You..."
"It's okay." Shen Yu interrupted him, his voice hoarse. He bent down, as if unable to bear some weight, supported his hands on his knees, and took a deep breath.
All he could think of was that delicate-looking little girl, with eyes that looked just like Lin Qingyue, so clear and innocent, looking at him and calling him "handsome uncle."
His heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, the pain so severe that he could barely stand up straight. Six years of speculation, all the reluctance, all the pain that had gnawed at his heart late at night, finally had a clear yet incredibly cruel answer.
It's not that she doesn't want him.
She took their child with her and left him.
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