Chapter 52: The Liar

Under the silence of the lily chandelier, Wen Shuyu finished the last bite of her egg fried rice.

The matcha green dishes were picked out by Jiang Huaiyu. The egg fried rice was made without any scallions or extra ingredients, stir-fried just right—he knew her well.

The man across from her said nothing. Wen Shuyu answered for him, “Because I once liked him.”

Jiang Huaiyu lowered his head. “It’s not just that.”

He paused for a moment, then raised his head, his Adam’s apple moving. “I saw how you looked when you liked him. He was the first person you ever liked.”

People always have special feelings for the first of everything—the world’s highest peak, the world’s longest river, the first person you loved, your first relationship, and so on.

Her passion for him, and the many years of liking him, he had seen it all.

He was her first love, so the impression was deep.

Wen Shuyu mumbled quietly, “The first boy I ever liked wasn’t him.”

Jiang Huaiyu didn’t hear that clearly. She stood up and quickly walked into the study. “Jiang Huaiyu, wait for me.”

Two minutes later, Wen Shuyu came out of the study, her hands behind her back, and a smile curving on her lips.

She sat sideways on Jiang Huaiyu’s lap and draped her arms around his shoulders.

Her weight pressed down on him.

Having just been intimate, her close proximity made their hearts race faster.

The green cotton pajamas made her look gentle, and her long, slightly damp hair cascaded down her back. The scent of roses and tea mingled, lingering in the air.

Wen Shuyu spread out the red marriage certificate and pointed at the photo on it. “Jiang Huaiyu, if you have no confidence in yourself, it’s the same as having no confidence in me. How long have we been married now? The legally recognized names are Jiang Huaiyu and Wen Shuyu.”

She tilted her body slightly and whispered in his ear, “I know who I love now. I love my husband, a person named Jiang Huaiyu, someone who’s been with me since childhood.”

“I still prefer you when you’re a little more dominant.” Wen Shuyu got off his lap and walked behind him, biting her lip and smiling.

She took a step forward, and Jiang Huaiyu grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his embrace. “I’m just jealous that you liked him for so many years.”

It wasn’t a lack of confidence or trust in you.

Just plain jealousy.

Wen Shuyu kissed his upper lip, her eyes filled with a soft smile. “I will love you for ten years, twenty years… until we’re seventy or eighty, or even a hundred. Isn’t that longer than the time I liked him? And love can’t be measured by time.”

Her confession made him speechless for a moment. Jiang Huaiyu didn’t know how to respond at first, then after a pause, he said, “I love you, for a lifetime.”

From childhood to now, from the past to the future.

They were so close, their chests beating in sync. In the quiet gaze between them, they were like two magnets, irresistibly drawn to each other.

Jiang Huaiyu lowered his gaze and kissed her lips. His warm, unsteady breath brushed across her face.

She responded eagerly, her tongue shaking, and he held her in a deep kiss.

Suddenly, a strong arm slipped past her knee. Wen Shuyu wrapped her arms around Jiang Huaiyu’s back. “Are we still going at it? Mr. Jiang, do you still have that bit of self-restraint?”

Her body was burning, like she had a fever.

Before, even when they were newly married, he would tease her but never cross the line. That man seemed to have disappeared.

Jiang Huaiyu chuckled softly, “I’ve never had self-restraint, just never married you before.”

Wen Shuyu reminded him, “But we have work tomorrow.”

After an afternoon of chaos, her body was on the verge of collapse. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but her strength had given out.

Jiang Huaiyu occasionally leaned down to kiss her. “If you don’t want to, we’ll just kiss.”

Using his mouth—wasn’t that licking? Their first time had started with licking.

Wen Shuyu secretly anticipated it.

She couldn’t make out his expression, her whole head buried under him. She was trapped, wanting to escape, but it was impossible.

When it was over, she had sweated even more than she had in the afternoon.

Wen Shuyu panted heavily, “Mr. Jiang, do you need help? Choose one from the three.”

Hand, mouth, and…

Jiang Huaiyu gently touched the strands of hair stuck to her temple. “Baby, no need. Let’s take a shower, and I’ll tuck you in afterward.”

In his arms, Wen Shuyu gazed at his red string, fiddling with the beads. “Why are there three beads?”

Jiang Huaiyu replied, “It’s been so long, I’ve forgotten.”

“Mr. Jiang’s memory is top-notch in our class, and you can still forget?”

She wasn’t sure if she was hinting at something or deliberately teasing him.

Jiang Huaiyu had a feeling she might have noticed something.

Work continued as usual, but Ye Keyi still hadn’t responded to Wen Shuyu. She had asked again that morning, but the page remained empty.

Wen Shuyu organized Lin Yuhua’s file and placed it at the corner of the desk. Jiang Huaiyu, worried she might overthink, reminded her before leaving: work is work.

As night fell, she drove home from work. Jiang Huaiyu told her he’d be a little later.

Halfway through, Fu Qingzi called, “Wen Xiaoyu, look at the sky.”

The call ended, and then Shen Ruoying followed with, “Yuyu, look at the sky.”

Wen Shuyu pulled over to a parking spot and looked up at the sky. The night was thick, and there was nothing around.

She waited for three seconds.

Suddenly, numerous “stars” rose into the sky, hanging in midair. They were drones.

The drones formed a “little fish” shape, and a “little boy” beside it shielded the fish’s back with his hand.

As time passed, the fish slowly grew, and the boy slowly grew taller. His hand remained over the fish, protecting it from the wind and rain.

Eventually, the fish wore a pure white veil, and the man held its fin.

The scene froze there, like a gemstone embedded in the boundless sky.

The landmark building, which had been in the background all along, lit up.

Je t’aimerai jusqu’à la fin de ma vie (I will love you until the end of my life)

Tú, nadie más (You, no one else)

How lucky I am to have met you

“To the one who has given me a special love, I wish to spend the rest of my life with generosity.”

At the end of each sentence, there was a Chinese character—fish.

It was Wen Shuyu’s nickname, the special name Jiang Huaiyu had given her.

The drones reenacted their childhood together, full of innocent friendship.

Using French, Spanish, English, and Chinese to confess, each language expressed Jiang Huaiyu’s feelings—words he had learned, words he wanted to say to Wen Shuyu.

Fate played its tricks, and he never managed to say them out loud.

The past half hour felt like an eternity to Wen Shuyu. Her heart raced faster than ever, and her hands shook uncontrollably.

She grabbed the phone from the console, took five deep breaths, and after a few minutes, called Jiang Huaiyu.

“Hello, where are you?”

Her voice was laced with a slight choke and emotion she couldn’t hide.

Jiang Huaiyu stood by the elevator, “On my way home.”

He guessed that she had seen it, as he had arranged for someone to notify her.

“Yuyu, the fireworks application didn’t go through in time, so I used drones to make up for it.”

It was something she had casually mentioned in Harbor City, and he had kept it in his heart.

Wen Shuyu laughed through her tears, “The interest is way too expensive.”

“Not enough.”

Not enough to even be a fraction of his love.

“Drive home slowly. I’ll see you at home.”

The drones made quite a spectacle, with 1,314 of them inevitably trending online.

Song Jinnan called and asked, “Is this for your wedding anniversary or your wife’s birthday?”

Jiang Huaiyu looked up at the deep blue sky. “Neither.”

The commotion was only temporary, and soon the sky returned to calm.

Song Jinnan was puzzled. “Then why spend the money?”

Jiang Huaiyu picked up the car keys and replied leisurely, “My wife likes it.”

On a non-holiday, with just a simple “my wife likes it,” he had thousands of drones perform. “Rich and willful.”

Coordinating the dazzling screen display took a lot of favors.

Lu Yunheng had naturally seen it too. He hadn’t expected the usually composed Jiang Huaiyu to do something so extravagant.

As he said, he was deeply in love with Yuyu.

The two of them went home at the same time, meeting in the underground parking lot.

Wen Shuyu opened the car door and ran into Jiang Huaiyu’s arms, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Aren’t you afraid your parents will say you’re wasting money?”

Jiang Huaiyu pulled her into his embrace. “As long as my wife is happy, that’s all that matters.”

Wen Shuyu teased him, “Mr. Jiang has become a love-struck fool.”

Jiang Huaiyu’s chest vibrated with laughter. “I’ve always been… Yuyu-obsessed.”

Their fingers tightly interlocked as they walked home. Wen Shuyu asked, “You designed that display, didn’t you?”

Only he could come up with such a creative idea, using “fish” to represent her.

Jiang Huaiyu smiled. “Yes, nothing else was as thoughtful. You can’t just spend money without putting any heart into it.”

The various “fish” elements associated with him had almost become his trademark.

Wen Shuyu stood on tiptoe and leaned close to his ear. “Thank you, hubby. I love it.”

She knew how to make him happy. Sometimes, just calling him “hubby” made Jiang Huaiyu genuinely happy.

“Dear, thanks should come with sincerity,” Jiang Huaiyu murmured. “Like calling ‘hubby’ a few more times, or putting in more effort in bed.”

Wen Shuyu pinched his reddening ear. “Well, that’s all. Just words. Do you want love or not?”

This person had no sense of occasion when it came to flirting.

Wen Shuyu saved the drone video. Who wouldn’t like a love that’s so openly displayed?

“Can you say those four lines?” she asked, watching the video again. Besides Chinese and English, she couldn’t understand the other languages. The comments section had translated them.

She wanted to hear Jiang Huaiyu say it. His voice, reading those words, should sound magnetic and captivating.

Jiang Huaiyu paused briefly, then casually replied, “I used to know, but now I’ve forgotten.”

He had learned those confession lines in high school, but never got to use them.

Wen Shuyu shook his arm. “Oh, then hubby, can you try saying them? I want to hear.”

“Sure, I’ll indulge you.” Jiang Huaiyu sighed silently. His wife, he’d spoil her.

The teasing in their friend group arrived, albeit late.

Shi Yu’an: [Who was saying ‘plastic marriage’ and ‘plastic husband’? This is even more real than gold.]

Fu Qingzi: [It was Wen Xiaoyu. And she wants him to give me some.]

Shen Ruoying: [Yuyu, Jiang Huaiyu is crazy in love with you.]

Shi Yu’an: [Too bad I didn’t get to witness the stunning scene.]

Wen Shuyu ignored the messages in the group and opened her private chat window with Shen Ruoying.

[Do you still remember when Jiang Huaiyu wrote a love letter?]

Shen Ruoying: [I can’t quite remember. The letterhead was too formal, and it was so long ago, I can’t recall it. But I do remember something—Yuyu, I just thought of something. During the second year of high school, there was a physical education class, or maybe another class, and he was talking with Zhou Hangyue about the girls he liked. I don’t know her name, but he asked Zhou Hangyue to keep it a secret. It’s all in the past now, and it doesn’t matter because now he likes you.]

Wen Shuyu: [Okay, I understand. Good night.]

Their relationship in high school was obvious to those around them, but no one connected them together.

One of them had a clear crush, while the other had denied it.

She had no evidence, nor any leads.

Lu Yunheng’s parents’ divorce case was about to go to court, and Wen Shuyu’s focus shifted once again.

He had been quiet for a while. Wen Shuyu hadn’t received any friend requests or phone calls from his good friend, and the case discussions were held either at the law firm or at a café downstairs.

They never met alone; either they brought assistants or Lin Yuhua was with them.

She could understand Lu Yunheng’s desire to move up, and there was nothing wrong with aiming high. But she couldn’t forgive him for putting her last.

By now, she had long since let go.

Meng Man went out for her lawsuit, and Wen Shuyu went out alone for lunch, walking into a restaurant she frequently visited in a mall.

While waiting for her meal, she played a mobile game.

During lunchtime, the restaurant was busy, and it was common to share a table with strangers. She didn’t notice who was sitting across from her.

Until the person across from her spoke, “Yuyu, what a coincidence.”

Wen Shuyu was absorbed in the game, and with the noise around her, she didn’t hear him.

Lu Yunheng called out again, “Yuyu.”

Wen Shuyu looked up and realized the person across from her was Lu Yunheng.

But how could she run into him at noon?

She treated him like a stranger and continued to look down at her phone, [Jiang Huaiyu, I’m hungry, I want you to come eat with me, brother.]

She playfully teased Jiang Huaiyu.

Jiang Huaiyu: ? [What’s wrong?]

It wasn’t unusual for her to send him a message at lunchtime, but calling him “brother” was a first.

Wen Shuyu continued teasing him, [It’s nothing. I miss my brother, I miss my husband.]

Jiang Huaiyu played along with her act, [You’ll see your brother when you get home.]

She paused for a moment, then smiled mischievously. He actually called her “sister” so seriously—it was so amusing.

But then the person across from her spoke again, “Yuyu, let’s just be friends when we meet again.”

Wen Shuyu gave him a sharp glance, “Mr. Lu, we were just classmates before. Now, we’re lawyer and client’s son.”

She drew a clear line between herself and him.

Lu Yunheng took a sip of water. “But that doesn’t make us strangers.”

Wen Shuyu cursed at him, “You’re crazy.”

Lu Yunheng leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Yuyu, I admit I hurt you before, and you saw it yourself. I had no choice.”

The waiter brought a bowl of noodles, and Wen Shuyu picked up a pair of chopsticks. “So? What does your ‘no choice’ have to do with me?”

Lu Yunheng watched her movements. “Your taste hasn’t changed. You still add two spoonfuls of vinegar, three spoonfuls of chili, no cilantro, and no vegetables.”

What good was his memory, other than to make himself feel moved?

“Yuyu, I really like you, and it hasn’t changed.”

An inexplicable confession—if she weren’t worried about wasting food, she would have walked out.

Wen Shuyu glanced at him and raised her left hand. “Do I need to remind you again, Mr. Lu? I’m married, I have a husband.”

She called him “Mr. Lu” with no desire to reminisce.

The wedding ring on her ring finger clearly indicated that she was married.

Lu Yunheng recalled something. “Jiang Huaiyu has someone he likes.”

Wen Shuyu looked at him when she heard that. Lu Yunheng said, “It’s not you, and I don’t need to lie to you about that.”

He had once thought that Jiang Huaiyu liked Wen Shuyu, which was why he never got along with him.

There was no direct conflict, but it was just an instinct.

Until he overheard a conversation between Jiang Huaiyu and Zhou Hangyue, where Jiang Huaiyu mentioned he liked someone, and it wasn’t him.

Wen Shuyu didn’t really care. “So what? Maybe you’re making it up, trying to stir trouble in our marriage. Even if it’s true, it’s all in the past. Just like how I once liked you, it changed. It became something insignificant.”

A delicious bowl of noodles, but by the time she finished, it was tasteless. Wen Shuyu mentally added the restaurant to her blacklist.

“Yuyu…” Lu Yunheng called her name.

Wen Shuyu interrupted him. “I’ll say it one last time—don’t call me Yuyu. You don’t deserve it.”

In front of him, she blacklisted his number. “From now on, any updates on the case will go directly through my assistant.”

When she got home after work, everything seemed calm on the surface, but underneath, there were swirling emotions.

They had dinner as usual, each going about their own business.

Wen Shuyu followed Jiang Huaiyu into the bedroom and asked him, “Jiang Huaiyu, did you ever like anyone in high school? Don’t lie to me.”

Jiang Huaiyu immediately answered, “No.”

Wen Shuyu’s mind was in turmoil. Jiang Huaiyu had liked someone, and he had lied to her.

Just as Jiang Huaiyu understood her, she also understood his subconscious actions.

When he lied, his index finger and ring finger would gently rub together.

It proved that what Lu Yunheng said was true—Jiang Huaiyu liked someone, and that person wasn’t her. Jiang Huaiyu had told her before that he didn’t like her.

Their past conflicts stemmed from this.

Jiang Huaiyu then asked her, “Did you meet anyone at lunch?”

Wen Shuyu reflexively answered, “No.” It wasn’t like she had agreed to meet Lu Yunheng, so there was no need for him to know.

She could have said she missed him, and he would have driven to see her, but instead, he saw her sitting with Lu Yunheng at lunch.

Lu Yunheng had even reached out to help her fix her hair.

“Liars.” Jiang Huaiyu grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms, leaning down to kiss her lips fiercely.