Chapter 26: The Only Moon in My Heart—Wangshu…

This unexpected encounter with Qin Shili once again left Xu Wu unsure of what he might do next. A deep unease settled in her heart.

She had no idea what he was planning.

Before he left seven years ago, she had made a promise to him—

The murderer who appeared in Jiangcheng was someone Xu Wu’s father had been trying to capture for years but failed to arrest even until his death. Who would have thought they would run into him during their Qingming visit? This time, he was finally caught.

In the hospital operating room, doctors were fighting to save Zhou Jinye’s life. Although he had moved in with his grandfather, his official records still tied him to Qin Shili. As his closest relative, Qin Shili was the first to be notified by the hospital.

“Due to severe blood loss, the patient remains unconscious and is in critical condition. Immediate blood transfusion is required, and we need you to sign the consent form for the surgery.”

The doctor handed over the surgical risk agreement.

Qin Shili’s expression remained indifferent. He didn’t reach for the pen. It was as if the person inside had nothing to do with him. His smile was sinister as he asked coldly, “Will he die?”

His words shocked everyone present, leaving them exchanging confused glances. No one understood what he meant.

But Xu Wu—who had heard Zhou Jinye speak about his father before—knew exactly what he implied.

He had no intention of saving him.

At that moment, Xu Wu felt powerless. She remembered how she had waited anxiously outside the operating room when her father was being rushed in for surgery. Now, she couldn’t afford to waste any more time; Zhou Jinye’s life hung in the balance.

Yet, the only person authorized to sign the document was Qin Shili. Her body grew numb with cold, tears streaming down her face.

Xu Wu could only watch helplessly. Summoning all her courage, she pleaded with Qin Shili, “Please, I beg you, save him.”

Qin Shili looked at her with disdain, like a superior observing an insignificant ant. “I’m used to doing business. Tell me, what conditions can you offer to make me save him?”

Her heart froze. She had nothing valuable to trade, so she clung desperately to every passing second. “I promise I’ll stay out of your lives forever. I won’t disturb him anymore. I’ll agree to anything—just please save him.”

Something in her words seemed to intrigue him. He raised an eyebrow. “Any condition?”

Seeing a glimmer of hope, she nodded frantically. “As long as you save him.”

Qin Shili finally picked up the pen and signed the paper. “Fine.”

The light on the operating room sign lit up again, signaling the continuation of the surgery. Meanwhile, Xu Wu sat shivering in the corridor, her hands and feet ice-cold.

A pair of expensive leather shoes appeared in her line of sight. The cold glow of the overhead lights reflected off the polished black shoes.

“Miss Xu, are you Zhou Jinye’s girlfriend?”

Dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, his background clearly wasn’t simple. He must have investigated her thoroughly beforehand. Xu Wu remained silent.

“You made a promise,” he continued. “You won’t go back on it, will you?” His words carried both overt and covert threats. “I know your mother is currently pregnant.”

His menacing tone forced Xu Wu to look at him. “Yes, this promise concerns only me. I won’t renege.”

“And if you die instead? A life for a life?”

She had already witnessed his true nature—outwardly gentle but inwardly dark. His hypocrisy didn’t surprise her. When he spoke such cruel words, she merely listened silently.

Then came his soft laughter. “Just now was just a joke. How could I possibly do something so ruthless?”

“I’ve heard that Zhou Jinye has dated many girlfriends, but he’s always treated you differently. I remember reading somewhere that true love means being willing to sacrifice one’s life. It seems it’s true. And I want you to break up with him. One by one, let the people in his heart leave him.”

Xu Wu swallowed hard. She stared at his chilling smile, and the cold sweat from earlier crept back onto her skin. She knew his smile hid malice. She didn’t know how far he’d go to hurt Zhou Jinye if she broke her promise.

________________________________________

“Sister Xu, the exhibition is about to start. You should go up and host.” Shu Ke noticed Xu Wu standing motionless. “After that man left earlier, you seem pale. Are you alright?”

Xu Wu snapped out of her memories.

Looking toward the stage, she saw the large screen had already lit up. As the event organizer, it was customary for her to take the stage and host such events.

She quickly composed herself and stepped onto the stage to address the guests and media.

With the formal opening of the exposition, Xu Wu delivered her usual hosting speech. Afterward, the stage was handed over to Zhou Jinye from LUNAR and Wen Tao from Fan Xiang.

“Zhou Jinye’s father really knows how to ruin things, showing up today of all days,” Li Qingyang remarked. Having known Zhou Jinye for years, he was well aware of Qin Shili’s past. “During those years abroad, he even confiscated his passport and ID card.”

Hearing Li Qingyang’s words, Xu Wu focused her attention on Zhou Jinye.

Li Qingyang noticed her demeanor. “Once, he secretly retrieved his passport and ID to return to China. That led to a historic ‘battle’ between father and son. Qin Shili got quite a taste of his own medicine.”

“Since then, Qin Shili hasn’t touched his passport or ID again.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Wu realized there was much she didn’t know. His words lingered in her mind.

As LUNAR and Fan Xiang’s presentations concluded, the media—having witnessed the earlier incident—directed their questions exclusively at Zhou Jinye.

“Is there any personal grudge between you and that man?” The reporter held the microphone, asking pointedly based on the trending topic. His question was sharp.

Such unexpected situations rarely occurred. Xu Wu moved to intervene.

Before she could step forward, the speaker system transmitted Zhou Jinye’s firm reply. “Personal grievances are my private matter. This exhibition is a collaboration between LUNAR and Fan Xiang. Please focus on meaningful questions.”

His response was subtle yet clear. If anyone dared to inquire further about personal matters, they would be met with refusal.

Having failed to uncover more sensational details, the reporter reluctantly sat down.

The atmosphere didn’t cool down. Other questions continued.

Wen Tao from Fan Xiang addressed brand-related inquiries meticulously.

Li Qingyang watched from the side. “Not bad, huh?”

“Yeah, amazing!” Shu Ke gazed at Wen Tao on stage without blinking.

Li Qingyang glanced at Shu Ke but said nothing further.

“LUNAR has developed overseas for many years. What prompted you, Mr. Zhou, to shift your focus back to China?”

On stage, Zhou Jinye paused for a moment.

Seconds later, he began slowly, deliberately. “Wherever LUNAR operates, its roots remain firmly planted in China. I hope to contribute to the new energy vehicle industry and promote green development, as I mentioned earlier.”

Though Zhou Jinye’s tone during the interview seemed casual, the sincerity in his eyes was evident through the high-definition cameras.

“I noticed LUNAR’s logo. I’m curious about the crescent moon design. What inspired it?”

LUNAR’s logo was rather understated. Among various online searches, different logos appeared. When Xu Wu first saw it, she was momentarily stunned but hadn’t considered its meaning deeply.

From her corner behind the media, she observed the stage.

Watching the photographers capture the figures above, she could see through the camera pixels that Zhou Jinye’s gaze was directed at her. She quickly averted her eyes, recalling the necklace.

“As the name LUNAR suggests, you can translate it yourself. The moon comes in many shapes, but to me, LUNAR represents the emblem of Wangshu—the only moon in my heart—Wangshu.”

The lowercase “lunar” translates to “moon.” And Wangshu—

Was her nickname.

By asking everyone to look up the translation, he was speaking directly to her. The name LUNAR had always been in Xu Wu’s sights, but she never bothered to find out who named the brand.

She remembered the time she mistook LUNAR’s logo. Most online searches showed different versions, but she hadn’t selected the crescent moon variant.

“Mr. Zhou’s statement sounds like a confession. Such sudden words make me blush.” The media teased.

Laughter erupted in the audience, but Xu Wu couldn’t laugh.

When he openly declared it to the media, Xu Wu’s heart was struck hard.

Bitterness welled up within her. Back then, she had ruthlessly broken up with him shortly after his recovery. She pushed him away, and he left for abroad under Qin Shili’s control.

Everything that happened not only hurt Zhou Jinye but also stabbed her with invisible daggers.

Today, hearing what Li Qingyang said, she realized Qin Shili had essentially kept him confined abroad.

During these seven years, whenever her studies paused, she often thought of Zhou Jinye overseas. Especially when she fell ill and couldn’t speak due to fever, she longed to fly to see him unnoticed by Qin Shili.

But she feared his retaliation and could only meet him in her dreams.

In her dreams, he told her he had moved on and found someone else, saying there was no need to see her again.

She still remembered his words in her dreams. Perhaps she had hurt him too deeply. Only when he spoke such cruel words in her dreams did her guilt lessen slightly.

But it had the opposite effect…

Everything about LUNAR was connected to her. Now, it was all laid bare before her. She could no longer deceive herself.

With someone as ruthless as Qin Shili lurking, how could life ever be easy?

The bitterness in her heart grew heavier…

________________________________________

By late afternoon, the media had finished their questioning.

Xu Wu gathered her belongings, preparing to leave, when Zhou Jinye called out to her.

“Are you done with your work?”

After a brief pause, Xu Wu nodded.

“Good. I don’t have anything urgent either. My hand injury hasn’t healed yet, so you’ll drive us home.”

His hand was still bandaged despite several days having passed.

“Your hand isn’t…” Wen Tao started but was pulled away by Li Qingyang.

Shu Ke watched their retreating figures and turned to them. “Do you… live together?”

Xu Wu, feeling low, murmured a faint “Mm.”

Zhou Jinye: “It’s getting late. Rush hour will start soon. Let’s go.”

She nodded and followed him.

“Do you know how to drive?”

“Yes, I have my license.”

“Did you get it after the college entrance exam?”

Xu Wu hesitated for two seconds before nodding. “Yes.”

He took the car keys from his bag and tossed them to her. “Alright, it’s yours.”

However, once inside the car, Xu Wu remained tense. Though she had her license, she rarely drove on actual roads.

Carefully recalling her summer driving lessons, she studied the dashboard functions.

“What… are you doing?” Zhou Jinye noticed her hesitation and asked.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she whispered, “I’m trying to familiarize myself with everything.”

“…”

Zhou Jinye chuckled softly but said nothing.

As they backed out, Xu Wu drove extremely slowly and cautiously, avoiding the parked cars on either side. After all, the car she was driving cost more than a year’s salary.

“Where did you get your license?” Five minutes later, Zhou Jinye, his hand resting on the window frame, asked.

“Hua Xia Driving School,” she muttered.

He looked at her. “The one I recommended to you?”

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. Silence confirmed her answer.