Chapter 55: Not Enough Love

They dared not make any noise, trying to control the intensity of their movements, but the more they tried to be careful, the greater their inner desires grew.

Like an inflated balloon, a single drop of orange juice could cause an explosion.

Jiang Huaiyu went to undo Wen Shuyu’s button, giving her a moment to catch her breath. “Here’s the problem, did you bring a condom?”

His fingers froze, stuck on the shell button, and his dark eyes became confused. “No, I came to comfort you, not to do this.”

The ceiling in the town’s houses was higher than in the city, with the halogen light shining down, its intensity diluted by the air. The two of them gazed at each other, smiling.

Jiang Huaiyu held her in his arms, unwilling to push further.

Wen Shuyu asked, “Then what should we do?”

Jiang Huaiyu lowered his gaze and thought for a few seconds, then replied, “I’ll hold you and kiss you for a while, that’s enough.”

“Or…”

She was about to suggest that maybe they didn’t need a condom after all, but Jiang Huaiyu interrupted her immediately. “Impossible.”

He had been sterilized less than three months ago, and he couldn’t take that risk.

Wen Shuyu wrapped her arms around his waist. “Mr. Jiang, then you’ll have to hold back, you’ve endured so long…”

She was originally going to say, “It’s not like it’ll make a difference in a day or two.”

Then she suddenly remembered what Jiang Huaiyu had said, “I’ve endured so many years.”

That didn’t align with what he had said before about being engaged.

Her memory wasn’t bad; in fact, it was one of her strengths, far surpassing Jiang Huaiyu’s greatest advantage.

Jiang Huaiyu didn’t notice, “You’ve endured for so long, and then what?”

Wen Shuyu said calmly, “It doesn’t matter if it’s one or two more days.”

“Yes, just holding you, that’s enough.”

Since they didn’t have a condom, Wen Shuyu and Jiang Huaiyu simply held each other in bed, both too afraid to move, afraid they wouldn’t be able to stop themselves.

Crickets chirped by the base of the wall, and unknown birds flew up into the quiet night.

The bamboo forest rustled, sending a lullaby of the night.

Wen Shuyu looked up and smiled, “Jiang Huaiyu, you’re so perfunctory at comforting people. You didn’t say anything nice, and there were no gifts, just you showing up.”

Jiang Huaiyu chuckled, realizing his mistake. “What do you want to hear?”

Wen Shuyu gave him a light tap, “You figure it out. Who asks the other person for the right answers when comforting them?”

Jiang Huaiyu played with her hand, then turned to whisper in her ear, “Wife, Yuyu, or maybe ‘bb’, ‘baby’, or ‘sweetie’?”

His warm breath brushed against her ear, and his deep, magnetic voice, laced with a suppressed laugh, filled her ears.

He had always called her those names in bed, but ‘bb’ was the first time he had said it like this.

Wen Shuyu paused for a moment, her heart skipping a beat, unable to resist his playful teasing.

She quickly changed the subject, “Jiang Huaiyu, what did you mean by what you said in the yard?”

“Which part?” He had said too many things in the yard.

Wen Shuyu repeated, “About how you’ve liked me for a long time, and how you’ve endured for a long time.”

She had heard everything but didn’t want to focus on the fact that Lu Yunheng hadn’t put her first. Instead, her attention had been completely captured by his heartfelt confession.

Wen Shuyu fixed her clear almond eyes on him, trying to catch his subtle expressions, not letting any detail slip by.

Jiang Huaiyu hesitated, wondering if he should tell the truth. Holding his breath, he said, “Yuyu, maybe I didn’t even know myself. I might have liked you for a long time. Our childhood together made me slow to realize it. When I saw you on a blind date, I suddenly understood.”

It wasn’t a lie, nor was it fully opening up; it was the best way he could think of to give both sides.

Wen Shuyu stopped scrutinizing him and didn’t make any small gestures. “So that’s how it is.”

Jiang Huaiyu added, “I bought you a new flower pot, the previous one…”

Wen Shuyu interrupted, “Did you break it?”

Jiang Huaiyu looked up and smiled, “I don’t have violent tendencies.”

He explained that the previous flower pot had been donated, and realized he had been a bit petty about it.

Wen Shuyu pretended to hit him. “A broken flower pot to send me off?”

Jiang Huaiyu caught her delicate fingers and kissed them gently, “That’s not it. Let me think about what to give you.”

The tingling sensation from his fingertips went straight to her heart. Wen Shuyu suddenly pulled her hand away. “Stop. Your ‘brother’ probably doesn’t want you getting too close to me.”

Jiang Huaiyu tightened his grip, “It’s fine, let him deal with it.”

The two of them lay in bed, talking about their childhood. Their first argument had been when Wen Shuyu went out to play with another boy, and Jiang Huaiyu scolded her. She had been so angry that she didn’t speak to him for a whole week.

In the end, it was Jiang Huaiyu who took the initiative to apologize.

The longest argument they had was when Jiang Huaiyu found out that she liked Lu Yunheng. He told her that early relationships weren’t allowed, and the two of them didn’t speak for half a month.

Later, they realized that this cold war was just the beginning.

One week, two weeks, a month, two months, a year, two years… and they never had any interaction again.

Tonight, they talked about so many things, from lobster dishes to marriage, as if trying to make up for the lost years.

The hands of memory moved to the present. Marriage seemed like something that had been chosen a long time ago. Wen Shuyu lay in Jiang Huaiyu’s arms, “When you first mentioned marriage, my first reaction was that you were crazy. At that time, we hadn’t been close for almost ten years.”

To put it bluntly, she had forgotten Jiang Huaiyu’s preferences. Her understanding of him was limited to the boy next door.

Jiang Huaiyu spoke softly, “I wasn’t crazy.”

The one who wanted to marry you, from the beginning, was only you.

There was never anyone else.

Wen Shuyu yawned, and her voice weakened as she said, “I thought I would never like you again in this lifetime.”

“I love you.”

The last three words were spoken in a breathy tone, barely audible, unclear, and Jiang Huaiyu couldn’t shake her awake to ask again.

“You sleep so soundly.” What did she mean by not liking him again? Jiang Huaiyu couldn’t figure it out.

She threw out a hook and left, making him think about it all night.

The rooster crowed, and the first light of dawn ushered in a new day, with smoke curling up into the sky.

Having been used as a pillow by Wen Shuyu all night, Jiang Huaiyu’s arm had gone numb. He gently pulled it out.

He went out to buy breakfast for Wen Shuyu.

At the breakfast shop, he ran into Lu Yunheng, whose dark circles were obvious.

He hadn’t slept well last night.

Jiang Huaiyu didn’t want to greet him, treating him like a complete stranger.

Lu Yunheng felt the same way, unable to sleep at all.

He had naïvely thought that after two years, Wen Shuyu wouldn’t fall for anyone else.

He couldn’t blame anyone but himself for not holding on to her.

Jiang Huaiyu, being idle for the day, became Wen Shuyu’s little shadow. The whole town knew that Lawyer Wen had a clingy husband.

While he was out taking a call, Wen Shuyu disappeared and left him a message, 【I’m stepping out for a bit, will be back soon.】

He waited and waited, but by nightfall, Wen Shuyu still hadn’t returned, and her phone was unreachable.

Jiang Huaiyu grabbed his coat and went out, asking if anyone had seen Wen Shuyu.

Someone said they saw Lawyer Wen going up the mountain alone and pointed him in the right direction.

Why would she go up the mountain at night?

At that moment, the question didn’t matter. Qin Siwan, feeling uneasy, found a villager familiar with the mountain roads to guide them up. Jiang Huaiyu made calls as he walked, first with no answer, then the phone was out of service.

Lu Yunheng overheard in the crowd and joined Jiang Huaiyu. “The phone’s not working.”

“She forgot to pay her phone bill,” Jiang Huaiyu said. “She’s always so absent-minded. She must have seen the overdue message and forgotten about it.”

Jiang Huaiyu didn’t dare keep calling, fearing that Wen Shuyu’s phone might run out of battery. The three men climbed up the mountain, shouting along the winding path.

They called every ten minutes. After paying the phone bill, the call quickly connected, and Jiang Huaiyu immediately asked, “Where are you?”

“I’m at…” Wen Shuyu looked around. It was pitch dark, and she couldn’t see anything. The sound of the wind rustling the leaves filled the air. Wen Shuyu hugged her arms tightly. “I can’t remember the name of this tree right now.”

After thinking for a moment, she added, “It’s like a butterfly.”

Jiang Huaiyu immediately understood. “Stay where you are. Wait for me.”

Wen Shuyu responded, “Hurry up, my phone’s about to die.”

“Alright, keep the battery, don’t worry, I’m coming.” Jiang Huaiyu reassured her in a soft voice.

After hanging up, Lu Yunheng asked, “What’s like a butterfly?”

Jiang Huaiyu replied, “It’s a ginkgo tree.” He turned to his uncle. “Is there a ginkgo tree on this mountain?”

The villager leading them up the mountain immediately understood. “There’s only one. Follow me.”

Lu Yunheng was confused. “A ginkgo tree? Aren’t the leaves like fans?”

Jiang Huaiyu explained, “When she was a child, Fishy thought it looked like a butterfly, so she always called it the butterfly tree.”

Back then, they lived in the old district. There was a large ginkgo tree in the city park near their neighborhood. Every autumn, the leaves turned yellow, resembling countless yellow butterflies fluttering in the air.

Wen Shuyu always called it the butterfly tree.

It was their private code.

The villager led them for half an hour before they finally saw the ginkgo tree.

“Fishy.”

It was Jiang Huaiyu’s voice. Wen Shuyu searched for the source of the sound, but against the light, she couldn’t see the person’s face.

She could tell from his voice that he was anxious.

“I’m here.”

Wen Shuyu replied.

The man’s tall figure ran toward her, his steps quickening.

The night was hazy, with just a hint of light. He approached her like walking in the moonlight.

Wen Shuyu ran into his arms. Jiang Huaiyu reached out, catching her, and held her tightly. “Jiang Huaiyu, you finally came. There was a snake in the grass, ah, it scared me to death.”

When Jiang Huaiyu saw her, the heart that had been hanging in his throat finally relaxed.

He held her tightly, like hugging a koala, gently patting her back. “Fishy, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

After a few moments, their hearts were at ease. Jiang Huaiyu said, “I’ll carry you down the mountain.”

He pointed to his back.

“Okay.” Wen Shuyu’s legs were weak from the scare, so she slowly climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Lu Yunheng and the villager led the way ahead. Jiang Huaiyu walked slowly, carrying her, falling behind a little. “How did you end up on the mountain?”

Wen Shuyu said, “I heard there’s a tree on the mountain called the marriage tree, and that it’s very powerful for making wishes. It’s most effective at dusk, so I came here. But when I was coming down, I took the wrong path and got lost.”

She had gone around in circles, only to end up back where she started.

Her phone had only 1% battery left. Wen Shuyu took out two pictures and held them up in front of Jiang Huaiyu.

“This is the prayer card from last time, and this is the prayer ribbon from this time. I hung them up myself, and they will bless us to stay together forever.”

The red prayer card was identical to the one he had discarded, except this one was bright red. A glance at the words on it showed “Jiang Huaiyu and Wen Shuyu will be together forever.”

The prayer ribbon carried the same message, fluttering gently in the breeze, while the sky was painted with large patches of orange sunset, capturing the wish in its glow.

The last time she came, it was to pray for their relationship, but he had misunderstood her. “I’m sorry, Fishy. Last time, I misunderstood you.”

Wen Shuyu pretended to be angry. “You better be, when we get home, you’ll be kneeling on durian.”

Jiang Huaiyu nodded. “Alright, I’ll let my wife handle it.”

When he turned around, he met Wen Shuyu’s bright eyes, and a faint smile appeared in her gaze.

Even though she had been scared just moments ago.

“Next time, let’s pray together,” Wen Shuyu suggested.

Jiang Huaiyu agreed. “Alright, but no more going up the mountain alone. It’s too scary.”

He shuddered at the thought. What if the snake was poisonous? What if there were other dangerous animals?

Wen Shuyu rubbed her nose. “Okay, I won’t go alone. I can walk by myself now.”

Jiang Huaiyu let her down.

They walked a few steps, getting farther from the others. Wen Shuyu quietly said, “Jiang Huaiyu, I have something to say to you.”

Jiang Huaiyu lowered his head and asked, “What is it?”

Wen Shuyu grabbed his collar, kissed his lips lightly.

It was still the village legend, similar to the one about the Ferris wheel.

The man’s thick eyelashes cast shadows, and his dark eyes were full of surprise as he looked at her.

Jiang Huaiyu pulled her head closer, kissed her again, pushing past her lips, deepening the kiss.

Wen Shuyu instinctively tried to push him away. “There are people ahead.”

“It’s fine, they can’t see us.” Jiang Huaiyu turned off his flashlight and the phone’s flash, instantly hiding them in the trees.

It was time for Lu Yunheng to experience jealousy and possessiveness.

Back at their place, after Jiang Huaiyu got Wen Shuyu to sleep, he walked alone into the yard.

He had Wen Shuyu send him the two pictures, admiring them.

Lu Yunheng was also in the yard. Seeing Jiang Huaiyu come out alone, he asked, “Is she asleep?”

Jiang Huaiyu was focused on the photos, giving a slight nod, not paying attention to him.

Lu Yunheng spoke up. “Actually, I’m really jealous of you.”

Jiang Huaiyu looked up and gave a slight nod, signaling him to continue.

Lu Yunheng took a sip of beer. “Your parents are very loving, your family background is a perfect match for Fishy, and you two have been childhood sweethearts, inseparable since childhood.

In high school, it seemed like you two were always bickering, but the chemistry between you two was unbreakable. She would instinctively worry about you, even if Fishy herself doesn’t realize it.”

Jiang Huaiyu frowned. “Don’t call her Fishy. I gave her that nickname.”

“You’ve liked her for a long time, haven’t you?”

Lu Yunheng didn’t need Jiang Huaiyu’s answer. Seeing his expression, he was 100% sure.

Now everything made sense. Why Jiang Huaiyu, who was always gentle with everyone, was especially cold to him.

Jiang Huaiyu put his phone away and stared at Lu Yunheng. “Yes.”

His tone darkened as he added, “Earlier than you.”

Lu Yunheng: “Then you just watch us…”

Watch you two being affectionate.

Jiang Huaiyu suddenly curled the corner of his lips and then coldly said, “If I knew later that you didn’t put Fishy first, I would have definitely fought you for her. How could it be your turn to hurt her?”

Unfortunately, life has no “ifs.”

His voice involuntarily rose, and he emphasized with a stern tone, “The excuse about parents and her suffering is all just that—an excuse. In the end, it’s because you didn’t love her enough.”

If you loved her enough, you’d find a way to solve the difficulties, not just walk away.

Jiang Huaiyu directly hit his sore spot, pulling out the words Lu Yunheng didn’t dare to say, and laid them out for everyone to see.

What he said was a bloody fact, but if you really loved her, how could it be like this? Lu Yunheng leaned against the wall, unable to respond for a long time.

Jiang Huaiyu had hit the truth in his heart.

He had considered his parents but never thought of Wen Shuyu.

He clearly had no hope, but was afraid to face reality.

Finally, Jiang Huaiyu emphasized again, “After you leave here, settle your parents’ lawsuit. Fishy will never see you again, and you’ll have no further connection with her.”

The woman inside, thirsty, got up to find some water and overheard the conversation between the two men outside.

Wen Shuyu heard the words “earlier than you,” and wondered, earlier than what?