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After half an hour of commotion, Wen Di was both sleepy and tired.
She told Yan Heyu to settle down, “I only slept at 2:30 last night, I’m really tired.”
Yan Heyu, who was kissing her, paused, looked up, and asked, “Why are you insomniac again?” After the successful investment solicitation for Behind Desire, her stress had lessened, and her condition had adjusted. He hadn’t heard of her having insomnia again.
“What happened?”
He sat on the edge of the bed and turned her face towards him.
Wen Di couldn’t open her eyes, keeping them closed as she said, “Nothing much. I suddenly got an inspiration before bed, and I was worried I wouldn’t find that feeling in the morning. I wrote until 2:30 AM, maybe even a little later.”
She had planned to sleep until she woke up naturally in the morning, but then the thunder woke her.
Yan Heyu tidied her shirt, pulled the blanket over her, and said, “Sleep, I won’t bother you anymore.” He kissed her eyes.
Wen Di’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier, her consciousness gradually hazy.
Yan Heyu went to the bathroom, wrung out two hot towels, and wiped her face and hands. Then he changed to another towel to clean other areas for her.
Wen Di mumbled, “Yan Heyu.”
She said something unintelligible afterward.
Yan Heyu leaned closer to her. “I didn’t hear clearly. Say it again.”
Wen Di: “Help me set an alarm for three o’clock.”
She couldn’t sleep too long, otherwise, she wouldn’t be sleepy at night.
“I’ll set it for you now.”
Yan Heyu didn’t know her phone’s password, so he set an alarm on his own phone and placed it on the bedside table, where she could easily reach it.
Wen Di seemed to hear the sound of water coming from the bathroom, but after that, she remembered nothing.
Yan Heyu took a cold shower, having to relieve himself.
After the shower, he wasn’t exactly refreshed, but he wasn’t as tormented. He probably wouldn’t have believed himself capable of suppressing his physiological needs for over three years.
Outside, it started raining again. Yan Heyu put on his clothes and went downstairs.
Wen Di was woken by the three o’clock alarm and stayed in bed for a few more minutes before getting up.
She returned to her bedroom to change and quickly washed up.
She didn’t know where Yan Heyu went; he wasn’t in the study upstairs.
She poured a glass of water and went to the balcony to clear her head.
The rain was intermittent, sometimes heavy, sometimes light, continuing non-stop from morning till now.
There was movement in the garden downstairs, the sound of something being hammered.
Wen Di tilted her head to look. Yan Heyu was wearing a raincoat, doing something in the garden. She quickly walked from the westernmost end of the balcony to the easternmost end. “Hey, what are you doing?”
Yan Heyu looked up, his raincoat hood slipped, and rainwater splattered on his face. He pulled the brim of his hood. “Building a canopy for these flowers. There’s a heavy storm and strong winds tonight.”
He then pointed to the several crabapple trees. “They also need to be reinforced. Strong winds can easily blow them crooked.”
“Wen Di?”
He couldn’t see her anymore.
In less than two minutes, Wen Di came out wearing a raincoat, barefoot.
“Go inside, I’ll do it myself.”
Wen Di stepped through puddles all the way over. She saw thick plastic sheeting piled next to the lawn, wooden stakes, horizontal and vertical supports, and a bag of zip ties.
“You went out this morning just to buy these?”
“Yeah.” Yan Heyu continued hammering the wooden stakes. “Didn’t I say I wanted to spend my life with you? Can’t just say it.” Most of the flowers in the garden were planted by Wen Di herself. He tried his best to take care of them.
“I went out when the rain was light. You don’t have to worry about my safety on the road.”
Yan Heyu urged her, “Go inside, or put on sandals before coming out again.”
“No need for shoes, it’s summer and not cold.”
Wen Di’s feet were in a puddle. It had been raining continuously for days, and the garden was muddy; every step left a footprint.
She said, “When I was little, I loved stepping in puddles on rainy days.”
She hadn’t stepped in one since she grew up.
Yan Heyu firmly hammered the wooden stake. Wen Di went to the edge of the lawn to grab one, and he took the stake from her, saying, “Do you know why adults don’t step in puddles?”
Wen Di: “Because they bought their own shoes, and they don’t want to ruin them.”
Yan Heyu smiled. He lowered his head and kissed her face, kissing away the rainwater that slid down her forehead.
He gestured to her: “You can step in them now. You’re not wearing shoes anyway. Besides me, no one will see an adult like you stepping in puddles.”
Stepping in puddles is fun for children, but for adults, it’s more about stress relief. But even for stress relief, it’s not ideal; if seen, people might say you’re crazy.
In their own garden, there were no other people.
Wen Di had long lost the joy of stepping in puddles. She stomped a few times to relieve stress, her two feet plunging down. Yan Heyu, who had just bent down, got splashed in the face with mud and water.
Wen Di: “...”
Yan Heyu straightened up, wiped his face, which was still covered in muddy water.
Wen Di cupped a handful of clean rainwater and splashed it onto his face.
One handful wasn’t enough, so she continued to cup rainwater.
Yan Heyu originally wanted to go back inside and wash his face, but seeing her cupping water with her hands, he continued with his work, letting her help him wash the mud off his face.
This was the best she had treated him since they started living together, even though she was the “culprit.”
His face was clean, and half of the wooden stakes were hammered in.
Wen Di picked up a shovel to divert the water in the garden.
Streams of rainwater pelted the plastic raincoat with a rhythmic sound.
As she worked, she hummed a tune.
“How I miss that summer, when I cried for days over the ending of a movie.”
Yan Heyu didn’t know the song, but he listened to her softly hum along with the sound of the rain.
It was almost evening when the simple greenhouse in the garden was finally set up.
Wen Di looked at the several crabapple trees; they had three vertical supports. “Do they need to be reinforced further?”
“Reinforce them a bit more.”
She helped, and together with Yan Heyu, they reinforced the crabapple trees.
By the time they finished, it was already dark.
The two stood in the entryway, taking off their raincoats. Her feet were soaking wet, her insteps covered in mud.
Yan Heyu hung up the raincoats and carried her to the bathroom.
“I’ll wash myself.” Wen Di asked Yan Heyu for the showerhead.
Yan Heyu didn’t give it to her, making her sit on the stool. He squatted down, his pant legs already soaked. He directly placed her feet on his lap and used warm water to rinse her feet, carefully washing each toe.
“Mid-Autumn Festival is in two weeks. Are you going back to Jiangcheng?”
“Yes.”
Yan Heyu asked her for the exact date of her return, offering to drive her back to Jiangcheng then. He wanted to go to her house, and the Mid-Autumn Festival seemed like a suitable opportunity. “Your aunt and uncle will be home too.”
Wen Di put both feet on his lap and nudged him. “It’s a family reunion day at my house. Why are you coming along? No one will open the door for you.”
Yan Heyu held the top of her left foot. “Don’t wiggle, this one isn’t clean yet.” He turned off the shower first and said, “I won’t go over rashly. I’ll go home with you.”
“Someone you bring home is definitely someone you’re planning to marry. We’re not even in a romantic relationship right now.” Wen Di asked him, “What identity do you plan to go under?”
Yan Heyu didn’t speak, he turned on the shower again to rinse her left foot.
There was a long silence.
Wen Di looked at the showerhead, he looked at her feet. After both feet were completely clean, he looked up. “How about you come to my place when you’re free? My dad should be back by the end of this month.”
“Why go to your house? You often bring people home, don’t your parents get annoyed?”
“I’ve never brought anyone home. And it’s the first time my parents actively asked me to bring someone back.”
“Then I’m not going either.”
Yan Heyu tore off a towel, dried her feet for her, and handed her slippers.
“When you go back this time, bring Wen Wen here.”
Wen Di had this plan. Her grandparents were coming to Beijing after the Mid-Autumn Festival to visit the secondhand bookstore owner. That spring, Boss Zhuang stayed at her grandparents’ house for over a month, traveling all over Jiangcheng and reading many books in her grandfather’s study that his own bookstore didn’t have.
Upon learning that her grandparents were coming, Yan Heyu arranged for Kang Bo to apply for an airline route in advance, so Wen Wen could come on his private jet.
He even proactively suggested, “When your grandparents arrive, I’ll go back to my apartment.”
“You should indeed go back to your apartment for a while and let me have some peace and quiet.”
Wen Di shuffled off in her slippers to eat downstairs.
Yan Heyu realized that her grandparents would likely be staying at Boss Zhuang’s place, so he didn’t need to go back to his apartment. Once he moved out of the villa, it would be difficult to get back in.
His clothes were still wet, so he went to shower again.
An afternoon’s hard work wasn’t in vain. The weather forecast was accurate today. At ten o’clock, a fierce storm raged, seemingly capable of tearing off roofs. He no longer had to worry about the flowers in the garden.
“Knock knock.” Two knocks sounded at the door.
His bedroom door wasn’t closed. Wen Di symbolically knocked twice. She came over to return something to him, the condoms he had sent earlier, which she had just found while tidying her desk drawer. “You keep them for yourself.”
She tossed them onto his bed.
Yan Heyu got up from his computer desk. “Why would I need them? If I use them, it means you’re using them.”
Wen Di said, “If I ever need them, I’ll buy them myself. I don’t trust the ones you buy. What if they have holes? Who would I cry to then?”
“...”
Yan Heyu was speechless for a long time, choked.
He laughed. “Are you afraid I’ll trap you with a baby?”
“You’re capable of that.”
Wen Di returned to her room.
Yan Heyu picked up the boxes of condoms from the bed and put them in the bedside table drawer.
Ever since Jiang Chengyu had a child, he also wanted to marry Wen Di quickly and have a daughter. But then he thought again: he wouldn’t do anything she disliked.
________________________________________
In a flash, it was the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Wen Di returned to Jiangcheng a day early. On the day of her return, Yan Heyu saw her off at the high-speed rail station, following her all the way to security check.
“Go back.”
She had no luggage this time, only a bag.
Yan Heyu said, “I’m going to Jiangcheng too.”
When he bought Wen Di’s ticket, he bought two, with seats next to each other. The GR Financial Forum in October was still being held in Jiangcheng, and he had some things to coordinate there. But going with her was out of selfish motives. He could have gone after the holiday, but he went a few days early.
Wen Di put on her sunglasses. “Are you spending the Mid-Autumn Festival alone?”
“I often spend it alone. Sometimes I happen to be on a business trip abroad and can’t fly back.” Yan Heyu added at the end, “Didn’t you used to know that?”
Wen Di didn’t care if he used to spend it alone. She wanted him to know that even if he went to Jiangcheng with her, she wouldn’t bring him home.
She asked him to send her the specific address of the villa. “Send it now.”
Yan Heyu looked at her. “Haven’t you been there?”
“Forgot which building.”
“Are you going there?” Yan Heyu began editing the address.
“Why would I go there?” Wen Di said, “My family always has leftover mooncakes every year. I’ll send you two boxes. You can’t eat much by yourself during the holiday, so it saves you from buying any.”
Yan Heyu harbored a sliver of hope, thinking that she might take some time to visit him at the villa on Mid-Autumn Day, or personally deliver mooncakes to him.
But that day, he only received a same-city delivery: Wen Di sent him two boxes of mooncakes made by a local pastry factory in Jiangcheng.
Wen Di was afraid of gaining weight and didn’t dare to eat too many mooncakes. Wen Qizhen cut half a fresh meat mooncake for her, keeping half for herself.
Their family ate mooncakes and admired the moon in the courtyard. There were lights in the courtyard, so it didn’t hinder them from chatting and playing mahjong.
Wen Di chatted with her second aunt on the swing, and naturally, their conversation turned to Yan Heyu.
Wen Qizhen mentioned that this year’s GR Financial Forum was still in Jiangcheng.
Wen Di nodded. “I heard.”
Wen Qizhen asked about her niece’s recent relationship status, “Are things still good with Yan Heyu?”
Wen Di thought for a moment, still unsure how to define “good.”
She and Yan Heyu had chosen to start over. She had to let go of the fact that he had given up on her before, and he had to accept and process the fact that she had once moved on and not loved him. This was certainly not something that could be achieved in a day or two, nor could it be truly reconciled through a single gesture of感动:being touched or surprise.
Those habits, warmth, affection, and unspoken understanding had to completely permeate each other’s lives for the regret to be truly removed.
He also had to tolerate her finding fault, which she hadn’t even started doing yet.
“We’re still adjusting to each other. If it doesn’t work out, there’s no need to meet the parents again.”
“What’s your second brother and second sister-in-law’s attitude towards you getting back together with Yan Heyu?”
“My parents said they respect my decision. If I’m happy, they’re happy.”
Wen Qizhen brought her niece some fruit, not interfering with any of her decisions, nor saying another word. Yan Heyu was now sparing no effort in assisting the development of the Jiangcheng Industrial Park. This year, thanks to his efforts in facilitating the deal, the headquarters of a large enterprise finally chose to relocate to the Jiangcheng Industrial Park. This was the biggest event since the park was officially established, even grander than when Jingyue Group and Xiaoning Group built factories in the park.
Whenever there was a major conference or dinner in Jiangcheng, Yan Heyu would respectfully accompany her second brother. Everyone in the business world was shrewd and could see that Yan Heyu treated her second brother differently.
Everyone knew that Yan Heyu had set up a small home in Jiangcheng, staying there every year, and they also knew that he wanted to become a son-in-law of Jiangcheng. In Jiangcheng, the closest person to Yan Heyu was Fan Zhisen, followed by her second brother. Fan Zhisen’s family had a son who was already married, so Yan Heyu wanting to be a son-in-law of Jiangcheng essentially meant he wanted to be the son-in-law of the Wen family.
Now, few people in the financial world didn’t know who Wen Changyun was. Anyone who met her second brother would greet him politely.
As the Jiangcheng Industrial Park’s reputation grew, her second brother and the entire Yunhui Group also rose in prominence, and their brand became more widely known and recognized.
Just then, Wen Di’s phone vibrated. It was a holiday greeting from Yin Ziyu, who also shared with her, [Boss Wen, I’m back together with Zhang Qiaoyu. Thank you for your previous blessings. PS: Even if we’re back together, I still love you the most~]
Wen Di: [Congratulations.]
Then she sent her a red packet.
“When are you going back?” Wen Qizhen asked her niece.
Wen Di exited the chat. “The day after tomorrow, with my grandparents. Yan Heyu applied for a flight route, so we can take Wen Wen along.”
Wen Wen had traveled far with her grandparents a few times before, but she was still a bit uncomfortable on the plane. Wen Di held her, comforted her, and played with her little toys.
Wen Wen was very well-behaved, lying quietly in Wen Di’s arms.
“Mommy got you a beautiful big yard, with a lawn and a garden.”
Wen Wen seemed to understand, occasionally raising her head to look at Wen Di and rubbing against her arm.
Upon landing in Beijing, Boss Zhuang and the driver came to pick them up.
Yan Heyu also arranged for a car to pick up Wen Wen’s belongings. Wen Di was worried Wen Wen wouldn’t adapt to the move, so she packed all of her things.
Wen Di planned to accompany her grandparents to the bookstore, but Grandpa Wen waved his hand, “You do your work. We old folks have our own fun.”
Boss Zhuang chimed in, jokingly saying, “You young people should try to spend less time with us. In our twilight years, we love to tell children to avoid detours and learn tolerance, but actually, it’s completely unnecessary. If you’re young and don’t make mistakes or fuss, then you’re not really young. How boring to live a smooth life, right? To be honest, we’ve lived a lifetime and still haven’t figured ourselves out. All the grand道理:principles we tell you are just us pretending to be profound and talking nonsense.”
Saying this, he laughed heartily.
Three stylish octogenarians, free and easy, got into the car and drove away.
Wen Di watched them disappear, then carried Wen Wen’s pet carrier into the car.
Today was the most ceremonial day at the villa, even more elaborate than the day she moved in.
Yan Heyu didn’t work overtime, leaving work on time to go home and help the aunt clean the house thoroughly, both upstairs and downstairs.
He changed into a clean set of clothes to welcome Wen Wen home.
Wen Wen took a long time to adjust before finally getting out of Wen Di’s arms, curling up on the sofa, playing with her toy, pawing at it.
Yan Heyu asked Wen Di, “Can I hold her now?”
“She doesn’t want you to hold her.”
“I’ll try.”
Yan Heyu sat next to Wen Wen and first rubbed her head. “Wen Wen, I’m daddy.”
Wen Di rolled her eyes at him.
Wen Wen didn’t know Yan Heyu, but she didn’t resist when he held her.
Yan Heyu thought that Wen Wen still had feelings for him, as he and Wen Di had the same scent.
Wen Di sat on the other end of the sofa, reading. Her phone, placed on the armrest, received a call. It was an unknown number, a Beijing number, old prefix, good ending.
It might be an investor’s call. She answered, and before she could speak, the other party said, “Hello, Screenwriter Wen, I’m Jiang Yunxing’s paternal uncle.”
Wen Di’s expression subtly changed. She didn’t want any connection with Yan Heyu’s ex. “You have the wrong number.”
Jiang Zhengqian chuckled. “No, I didn’t. Unless you’re not Yan Heyu’s girlfriend, not the biggest investor in Behind Desire, and not Yin Ziyu’s boss. If you’re really not, and just have the same name, then it’s possible I called the wrong person.”
“Who are you?”
“I told you, Jiang Yunxing’s paternal uncle.”
“Don’t you have a name?”
“...”
Jiang Zhengqian choked, then anger turned into a laugh. “With that fiery temper of yours, what does Yan Heyu see in you? He’s got issues.”
“None of your business. Speak quickly.”
She rarely swore. Yan Heyu suddenly turned around and asked, “Whose call is it?”
Wen Di glanced at him and put the call on speaker.
Jiang Zhengqian’s voice came through the receiver, “My name isn’t important. You just need to know why I’m looking for you. Yin Ziyu is in a relationship, and her boyfriend is Zhang Qiaoyu. You, as her boss, know that, right?”
“Stop with the nonsense. Get to the point.”
Jiang Zhengqian had a misconception: Wen Di spoke with the same tone and cadence as Yan Heyu. If it weren’t for the female voice, he would have suspected the person on the other end of the phone was Yan Heyu.
“Too bad, Zhang Qiaoyu has had a girlfriend for a year.” He told Wen Di the name of that artist. “She’s not very famous, but you’re definitely not unfamiliar with her. If you don’t believe what I’m saying, check for yourself if she’s Zhang Qiaoyu’s girlfriend.”
Wen Di’s head buzzed. So Zhang Qiaoyu reconciling with Yin Ziyu was a trap, premeditated from beginning to end. If his girlfriend exposed them, and Zhang Qiaoyu then slandered Yin Ziyu, her acting career would be completely ruined.
It would also mean the destruction of Behind Desire.
“I know Yan Heyu should be beside you, if not beside you then at home. You can help me deliver a message to him.”
Yan Heyu wanted to take the phone, but Wen Di waved him off, so he gave up.
Wen Di rubbed her temples, trying to calm herself. “So, after all these years in the business world, you’re still just Jiang Yunxing’s paternal uncle, only capable of such sordid deeds.”
“I’m simply retaliating in kind. Why don’t you ask Yan Heyu what he did?”
“No need to ask. If you’re done, you can hang up.”
Jiang Zhengqian: “It’s not impossible for me to let Yin Ziyu go and be a good person again. You have Yan Heyu apologize to me, and tell him to return all the projects he took from our Jiang family, remember, all projects from the past three years. Give them all back to me, and I guarantee we’ll stay out of each other’s way from now on.”
Wen Di said unhurriedly, “What if I don’t?”
“Then Behind Desire won’t have a chance to air, and Yin Ziyu won’t have a chance to make it in this industry. You decide what to do.”
Wen Di spoke into the phone, “Suit yourself. Ruin it if you want. If you ruin one, Yan Heyu will compensate me with ten, and then he’ll make you half-dead.”
She hung up the call directly, clutching her phone tightly. She hated being threatened the most, but to say she didn’t care if Behind Desire was ruined was impossible.
It wasn’t about money; it was her painstaking effort of over two years. From the year before last to this year, how many sleepless nights had she endured, at one point rewriting the script to the point of collapse.
Yan Heyu comforted Wen Wen, placing her in her cat bed. He sat beside Wen Di and pulled her into his arms. “I have a way to solve this. Trust me.”
“Did you anticipate him doing this?”
“No, but I can fix it.”
Wen Di looked up at him. Jiang Yunxing’s paternal uncle thought she would argue with Yan Heyu, but he miscalculated. She wouldn’t be brainless and quarrel with Yan Heyu at this moment.
Making Yan Heyu bow his head to anyone would be like asking for his life.
She also wouldn’t let him apologize. Someone like Jiang Yunxing’s paternal uncle, an apology would only work temporarily. He would constantly use it to threaten her, making it endless in the future.
“From the sound of his voice, he doesn’t want to completely break ties. We still have time to figure something out. I’ll calm down and then think of a solution.”
Yan Heyu held her hand. “I will resolve it perfectly for you. Wen Di, don’t worry, Behind Desire won’t be ruined. If, of course, this ‘if’ is impossible, but if it truly can’t be resolved, let alone apologizing, I will go begging for you. So, you sleep well tonight, don’t overthink. I promise Behind Desire will air as scheduled.”
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