Chapter 46: Crushed

Wen Shuyu bit into a crunchy bone, and with a slight snap, she came back to her senses. Jiang Huaiyu was standing in front of her, raising his hand with defined knuckles and shaking it lightly.

“Foolish fish, what are you daydreaming about?”

Wen Shuyu shook her head and smiled. “It’s nothing, just a matter concerning the person involved.”

The man didn’t pressure her to speak, waiting patiently for her to gradually open up when she was ready.

The entire evening, she spoke very little. Even during dinner, she didn’t mention the events of the day.

Both of them had made their feelings clear, but for now, Wen Shuyu couldn’t open up to him.

Everything still needed time to adjust and change.

Jiang Huaiyu tidied up the house and entered the bedroom, but not finding her there, he went to the study. Sure enough, she was inside.

Wen Shuyu sat in the chair, lost in thought. The computer remained on the desktop, never moving. “What’s wrong? You seem preoccupied.”

She had been daydreaming too much today.

The woman hugged her knees, her fingers at her mouth. Whenever troubled, she had the habit of nibbling on her fingers, something she had done since she was little.

That habit had never changed.

“Ah.” Wen Shuyu looked up when she heard his voice. “If… I mean, if… never mind.”

She hesitated for a long time, without saying anything.

What if it wasn’t the case? What if it was just someone with the same name? What was the point of telling Jiang Huaiyu? It would only add to his worries.

Jiang Huaiyu walked over, took off her blue light-blocking glasses, and with a wave of his hand, swept the items on the desk aside. He picked her up and placed her on the desk, holding her close. “What’s wrong? Why are you so hesitant?”

Not like her at all.

The man’s shirt had two buttons undone, and his pale white collarbones were faintly visible. A long red mark on the side was a trace left by her fingertips last night.

Wen Shuyu fastened one of the buttons for him and tilted her head, saying, “I’ll tell you, but you can’t get mad.”

Jiang Huaiyu’s heart skipped a beat, and he raised an eyebrow, “I won’t get mad. Go ahead.”

A mischievous smile came from his throat, muffled like a distant thunderclap.

Wen Shuyu shifted her gaze to his forearm, where the shirt sleeves were rolled up twice, revealing faint blue-green veins.

She steadied her breath and briefly mentioned the events of the afternoon. The person involved might be Lu Yunheng’s mother, who was thinking about getting a divorce.

She made sure to emphasize again that it was just a possibility, and they weren’t sure yet.

“That’s about it. Do you think I should take the case?”

After saying this, Wen Shuyu didn’t dare to meet Jiang Huaiyu’s gaze, afraid of being overwhelmed by the intensity in his eyes.

If she took the case, it might mean getting involved with Lu Yunheng. If she didn’t take it, she still wanted to. A woman nearing sixty, wanting a divorce—it must be a last resort.

She had to consider Jiang Huaiyu’s feelings. She didn’t want to make him upset.

Jiang Huaiyu didn’t want to be too involved with her work, respecting her choice, but it was hard not to feel uncomfortable when it involved her former rival.

Lu Yunheng’s family wasn’t happy. What if this was some sort of manipulation to gain sympathy? Fishy was easily soft-hearted, but he trusted her.

He pretended to be nonchalant, “Take it, I’m easy to coax.”

The cool breath swept past Wen Shuyu’s nose, the familiar scent of pinewood wrapping around her.

“Does it not bother you? Won’t you get jealous?” Wen Shuyu slightly lifted her eyelids and slowly glanced at him with the corner of her eye.

Noticing the woman’s probing gaze, Jiang Huaiyu pulled her into his arms and chuckled softly, “I do mind, I’ll be so jealous I could die. So, you need to coax me. Just a little bit will do.”

“How do I coax you?” Wen Shuyu wrapped her arms around his waist.

Jiang Huaiyu leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I’m easy to coax. Just show me the clothes.”

Clothes! Wen Shuyu suddenly remembered, those bits of fabric couldn’t cover much at all. Her earlobes instantly turned red.

She shoved him away, jumped off the desk, and said, “Dream on. If you want to wear them, you wear them yourself.”

She definitely wasn’t going to wear them.

“If you want to take the case, then take it. I won’t interfere with your work.” Jiang Huaiyu grabbed her hand and pulled her back into his embrace.

After a long pause, he added, “Of course, except for Lu Yunheng himself.”

Wen Shuyu wiggled his waist. “I won’t take his case. I don’t want my husband to get jealous.”

She stood on tiptoe and placed a kiss on his lips.

It was as light as a butterfly landing on an arm.

Jiang Huaiyu laughed, his shoulders and chest trembling slightly.

He was easy to coax.

Even with a half-hearted kiss.

Having resolved the worries in her heart, Wen Shuyu felt at ease and went to take a bath, locking the door behind her.

Jiang Huaiyu could be trusted everywhere, but not here.

She lay down in bed, and the man’s hand reached up. Wen Shuyu pressed it down, looking serious as she said, “Jiang Huaiyu, I need to lay down three ground rules with you.”

“Which three?” Jiang Huaiyu kissed her forehead.

Wen Shuyu counted off on her fingers.

“One, no intimacy on workdays.”

Her back was still sore, and it would affect her ability to work.

Jiang Huaiyu’s lips trailed down from her earlobe to her neck, where the ambiguous marks he had left from yesterday were still there.

Like little red flowers.

Jiang Huaiyu kissed those spots again.

Having just finished her bath, her body still carried the fragrance of camellias, mingling with the scent of his pinewood.

The combination created a unique aroma.

He didn’t give her the satisfaction right away. Every time she got close, he deliberately stopped, waiting for her to come back to herself before starting over again.

Her heart felt as if it were being nibbled by insects.

She wanted to scratch and claw, but couldn’t find the source of the itch, so she could only clutch the bedsheets tightly.

She was trapped, as if her acupuncture points had been sealed, unable to move.

This cycle repeated three or four times, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. The bath she had just taken felt pointless.

Her hair, damp from sweat, stuck to her neck, the moisture forming a thick layer of sweat.

Her voice was melodious and soft, unlike her usual tone.

It felt like she had become a different person.

Jiang Huaiyu stopped again. “So, are we still setting rules?”

“No rules, do whatever you want.”

Her rationality had long since shattered, lost in the boundless summer night.

She was wrapped in the heat.

It was always like this. Why did he like kissing there so much?

After receiving the satisfactory answer, Jiang Huaiyu gave her the release she needed.

Jiang Huaiyu did listen to her. Tonight, he didn’t push further, letting her off the hook.

She had no strength left, drifting in a daze as he carried her to the bathroom. “Fish fish, this is how you’re supposed to be.”

In this regard, she was never his match—asking for trouble.

Wen Shuyu bit his arm. “I hate you.”

“But I like you.” Jiang Huaiyu lowered his head and pecked her lips.

The sound of cicadas faded quietly, and the evening breeze carried a hint of coolness, signaling the end of summer.

Before the new semester started, Nancheng No. 1 High School was about to celebrate its centennial anniversary. Every graduate received an invitation.

Wen Shuyu and Jiang Huaiyu were no exception. After discussing it, they decided to go.

Whether it was to reminisce about the past or make up for regrets.

There was a couple’s outfit in the closet that they had bought while shopping, and this time it was finally put to use.

Wen Shuyu’s outfit was a white short-sleeved dress with gray and black butterflies printed on it, while Jiang Huaiyu’s shirt had the same fabric as the flowers on her dress, with a pocket matching the pattern.

If you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t realize they were wearing matching outfits.

The entrance to Nancheng No. 1 High School was packed, so Jiang Huaiyu parked the car at a nearby mall, and the two of them walked over.

Wen Shuyu took the initiative to hold his hand. She particularly liked playing with his hand—she had to hold it while sleeping and would often glance at it.

She ran her fingers over the three beads on his hand string, rolling them like a walnut, then tilted her head and looked at him. “Jiang Huaiyu, your hand string has gotten so old, why don’t you change it?”

A hand string for safety—nowadays, many people no longer believe in it. But if you told people the hand string could bring wealth, it would sell out immediately.

“I’ve gotten used to it.” Jiang Huaiyu, afraid she would discover the secret, secretly turned the beads around so that the engraved letters on them were hidden underneath.

Returning to their alma mater after many years of graduation, they felt quite sentimental. The plaque at the entrance of Nancheng No. 1 High School was as old as it had been back then, filled with the atmosphere of history.

Stepping through the school gates, Wen Shuyu unconsciously adopted the identity of a student. She glanced down at their intertwined fingers and jokingly said, “This feels like we’re in a high school romance.”

Especially since Jiang Huaiyu was wearing glasses today, it brought back memories of his high school self.

Jiang Huaiyu adjusted his glasses and smiled, saying, “Then let’s pretend we’re in an early romance.”

Isn’t that a kind of alternative way to fulfill a dream?

Wen Shuyu tilted her head and took a closer look at Jiang Huaiyu. She wasn’t sure whether it was because he was wearing glasses today or if it was because they were at the school, but he had a youthful vibe.

Tall and slender, his eyes and brows were as striking as ever. The golden sunlight hit the lenses of his glasses, casting a rainbow reflection, and his slightly tousled hair fell over his forehead.

She didn’t have a deep impression of his high school years and couldn’t remember them clearly.

Wen Shuyu snapped out of her trance and asked, “How much is your myopia?”

Jiang Huaiyu replied, “A bit over 100 degrees.”

Actually, he didn’t have myopia, just plain lenses, but she hadn’t noticed.

“Did you have myopia in high school?” She wanted to learn more about him and make up for those missing years.

Jiang Huaiyu adjusted his glasses and replied, “Yes, it started in the first year of high school.”

Since you started liking Lu Yunheng.

Since you had him in your heart and eyes.

Jiang Huaiyu tightly squeezed Wen Shuyu’s delicate fingers.

His bitterness was something Wen Shuyu couldn’t understand. They were in the same class, yet she was always revolving around another boy, her eyes and heart filled only with Lu Yunheng.

To hide the jealousy and sadness in his eyes, to prevent others from seeing his emotions, Jiang Huaiyu, who didn’t have myopia, pretended to have it and started wearing glasses from that moment on.

Even today, though she was by his side, he still didn’t feel secure.

The memories high school gave him weren’t very pleasant.

As they walked along the camphor tree-lined avenue, the trees seemed taller than they had been during graduation, welcoming and sending off one batch of students after another.

The teaching building at the front was where they had their first year classes. There was no need to climb stairs; the classroom was on the first floor, and Fu Qingzi and Shen Ruoying were waiting for them in Class 1-8.

Standing at the door, he mustered the courage to step into the classroom once again.

Things and people had changed.

The classroom had been repainted, and on the pristine white walls, the graffiti from those years could no longer be seen.

Looking at the faces of her classmates, only a trace of familiarity remained.

Wen Shuyu let go of Jiang Huaiyu’s hand and found her seat. She sat with Shen Ruoying, with Lu Yunheng behind her. Jiang Huaiyu was in another group.

Shen Ruoying lowered her voice, “Yuyu, I remember now. I think there was a time when someone found out Jiang Huaiyu wrote a letter and wouldn’t let anyone see it, but someone sneaked a peek and saw the words ‘I like you.'”

Fu Qingzi, sitting in another group, came over to join in, “I remember that too. At the time, rumors spread that he liked someone, and it made me sad for a while, but then nothing came of it.”

Shen Ruoying said, “Now that I think about it, that letter was just some plain, ordinary paper, the kind teachers at school often use. How could it have been a love letter? It was just a rumor.”

The idea of Jiang Huaiyu writing a love letter was hard for Wen Shuyu to imagine. She scratched the stray hair by her temple, “Even if he did, it’s fine. Who doesn’t have a past?”

High school was the hardest time, but once it was over, it became the most nostalgic period of life.

Back then, it was simple—study and go to the street vendors outside the school for delicious food.

Their parents, in order to train them, did not choose private high schools, but instead had them spend the most intense and exhausting three years at a traditional public high school.

Shen Ruoying nudged Wen Shuyu with her elbow, “Your husband has been looking at us with a sorrowful gaze.”

Since they entered the classroom, he had been ignored.

Wen Shuyu felt a bit guilty. She sat in the empty seat next to him and opened the QQ interface. “Excuse me, can I add your contact info?”

Her voice was so soft that only the two of them could hear it.

And her eyes sparkled with a playful smile, like a mischievous older sister teasing her junior.

Jiang Huaiyu sat up straight and seriously said, “I like someone.”

“Then forget it,” Wen Shuyu stood up to leave.

But the man beside her hooked his arm around her neck, pulling her into his embrace, and whispered in her ear, “The person I like is Wen Shuyu.”

It was something he had kept in his heart for many years, something he had always wanted to say to her.

A tingling sensation spread from her ears to her heart. Wen Shuyu rubbed her flushed ear and tried to stay calm, “Saying that in the classroom really looks like early love. Be careful, the teacher might call you in for a talk.”

Other classmates cast curious glances their way, and Jiang Huaiyu released her.

Jiang Huaiyu placed her hand inside the desk drawer, his large hand enveloping hers. “Then let’s talk quietly, without anyone else knowing.”

This only made it look more like early love.

The sun tilted westward, and the shadow of the ginkgo tree crept into the classroom, falling across the two of them.

The floral butterflies on their clothes seemed to come to life.

There were a few hundred-year-old ginkgo trees at South City High School, and just around the corner from the classroom stood one of them.

In an instant, Wen Shuyu seemed to see Jiang Huaiyu, dressed in loose school uniform, leaning against the tree.

She would walk ahead, and he would stretch his long legs to catch up with her.

The seasons flashed through her mind quickly—the ginkgo tree sprouting tender buds, lush and green, bathed in golden sunlight, and the falling leaves, with Jiang Huaiyu never missing a moment.

Time passes so quickly.

As they stepped out of the school gate, Wen Shuyu glanced back, and for a moment, she saw her high school self—wearing a blue-and-white school uniform, munching on a pancake roll, with a bulging backpack on her back.

Not far behind, there was Jiang Huaiyu.

Wen Shuyu tightened her grip on Jiang Huaiyu’s hand. “Jiang Huaiyu, why did you insist on waiting for me back then?”

She had once said that she didn’t need him to wait for her, but he continued to wait as always.

Jiang Huaiyu lowered his eyelashes. “Because I was afraid someone would steal you away.”

He didn’t even look at her.

Wen Shuyu pulled her hand away from his. “I was stolen away, yes, but by you.”

Fortunately, it was him who took her home.

That evening, the class president booked a restaurant, saying that it was a rare opportunity to gather.

The last time the sports committee member’s wedding had caused some unpleasantness, and Wen Shuyu didn’t really want to go, but this time it was the school’s centennial celebration, and their class’s Chinese teacher, Mr. Li, would be there, so she decided to go.

Even after many years since graduation, she still remembered how kind Mr. Li had been.

He never favored any one student and was friendly and approachable with everyone.

Falling for someone too early isn’t a good thing, especially in high school, when one can unintentionally let that person’s moods affect their own.

There was also a competitive streak in her, not wanting to lose to Jiang Huaiyu. Under the double pressure, the more she tried to do well, the worse it seemed to turn out.

At the most crucial moment for her, Mr. Li had pulled her back, staying up late to talk and getting her back on track.

When they arrived at the private room, Wen Shuyu and Jiang Huaiyu were both taken aback to see Lu Yunheng.

He had been busy during the day and didn’t go to school, thinking he wouldn’t attend the dinner either. However, he had arrived earlier than them.

Wen Shuyu tightly gripped Jiang Huaiyu’s hand, not particularly bothered, and sat at a position that was slightly away from Lu Yunheng, though not directly across from him.

Yet, Lu Yunheng’s gaze remained on her.

With the memory of the wedding incident in mind and the teachers present this time, the classmates didn’t go overboard, sticking to light chats about recent events.

Wen Shuyu went over to chat with the teacher, and Jiang Huaiyu followed. “Teacher.”

Mr. Li said, “Yuyu, Huaiyu, I’m just happy to see you both doing well.”

At that time, Jiang Huaiyu had been one-sidedly hurt, but in the end, they were married.

There must have been some destiny at work.

“Teacher was right, wasn’t he?”

“Indeed.”

Mr. Li said, “I need to head home now, I have children to take care of.”

“Goodbye, Teacher.”

The two of them seemed to be speaking in riddles. Jiang Huaiyu asked, “What did the teacher say?”

Wen Shuyu curled her lips into a smile. “That’s a secret.”

There had been a period in high school when she had felt really unhappy. She couldn’t figure out Lu Yunheng’s feelings — he was hot and cold, keeping her at arm’s length. Meanwhile, Jiang Huaiyu had told other classmates that he didn’t like her, and that he was only waiting for her out of respect for the elders. She had overheard it.

But he had waited for her anyway.

All her emotions had piled up inside, and there was nowhere for her grievances to go.

Her grades plummeted.

The truth was, she had always held a grudge over Jiang Huaiyu saying he didn’t like her. If he didn’t like her, so be it — but why did he have to say it once in middle school and then emphasize it all over again in high school?

No one likes hearing someone repeat, over and over, that they don’t like them.

That day after evening self-study, she dawdled and didn’t leave, watching to see if Jiang Huaiyu would go or not — but in the end, he stood waiting under the tree the whole time.

When Teacher Li came back to get her keys, she ran into her at the stairway. Without asking for any explanation, the teacher simply sat with her on the steps.

She told her, if you’re tired, just take a break — after all, the college entrance exam is still far away. She told her, what you see on the surface isn’t always the truth.

In short, she said a lot.

After Teacher Li left, some people in the private room got hyped up. After a few rounds of drinks, someone inevitably got tipsy and started chatting nonsense.

Lu Yunheng sat watching Jiang Huaiyu and Wen Shuyu, who couldn’t seem to stop holding hands ever since they came in, and a bitter ache slowly spread through his chest.

Jiang Huaiyu spent the entire evening playing on his phone, barely paying attention to anyone else.

Except for helping Wen Shuyu pick food and peel shrimp — she sat there with her head slightly bowed, smiling gently, sometimes giving Jiang Huaiyu a playful glare.

The two of them showed off their affection like no one else was around.

Lu Yunheng clenched his back teeth, downing glass after glass of alcohol.

After drinking more than half a bottle on his own, he staggered over to Jiang Huaiyu’s side and said,
“Jiang Huaiyu, you don’t even like Yuyu, so why keep her around?”

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but everyone in the private room heard it clearly.

The fish-shaped cufflink on Jiang Huaiyu’s wrist glinted blue under the crystal chandelier. When it brushed against the wine glass on the table, there was a sharp clink.

The next second, the wine glass shattered.

Jiang Huaiyu turned his head, lifted his chin slightly, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.
“Who said I don’t like her? I’m absolutely crazy about my wife.”

The room fell into complete silence.

After some silent eye contact between Fu Qingzi and Shen Ruoying, the others quietly excused themselves, leaving the space to the three of them.

Lu Yunheng refused to back down.
“What about Yuyu? Does she even like you? Has she ever said she likes you?”

As his words fell, the room became even quieter than before — dead silent.

Only the sound of three people breathing could be heard.