Wen Yuhan narrowed his eyes slightly, and paused his smoking motion for a moment.
Just as Liu Zhengju thought he would see some satisfaction on the other person's face, he saw Wen Yuhan slowly exhale a puff of smoke, remain silent for a long time, and then say softly, "Is someone taking care of you in the hospital?"
Liu Zhengju was suddenly startled, and his dark eyes gradually filled with mist.
He turned his head away and took a few deep drags of his cigarette, his smile frozen on his lips, while tears streamed down his face.
"Yes, there is a caregiver." At this point, she broke down in tears.
Wen Yuhan silently looked at the old man in front of her, who was once full of vigor but was now on his deathbed, and suddenly felt that he was actually very pitiful.
In an attempt to make up for his past mistakes, he spared no effort to pave a path to success for his son, only to end up with nothing but emptiness.
"Xiaohan... I feel so guilty!" Liu Zhengju cried, gasping for breath, and then gasped for a long time. "I'm so sorry for you, I've made you suffer all these years!"
Wen Yuhan closed his eyes, letting Liu Zhengju confess his crimes one by one before him, feeling as if he were a spectator listening to someone else's story.
With a clatter, Liu Zhengju threw his cane aside and stood up shakily, about to kneel down before Wen Yuhan.
Wen Yuhan frowned, helped the old man up, and said with a furrowed brow, "Don't do that."
"I was so blinded by greed back then. Now that I think about it, I not only harmed you, but I also personally harmed Xiao Shu... If it weren't for me, he would never have ended up like this!" Liu Zhengju said as he slapped his own face hard, and five clear finger marks immediately appeared on his bloodless cheek.
Wen Yuhan couldn't refute it, so she could only reach out and grab the old man's hand to stop him from continuing to harm himself.
"What's done is done, what good is regret now?" Wen Yuhan stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the trash can next to him, paused, and then said calmly, "If you really want to make amends, tell the police everything you know and everything you've been involved in over the years."
From Pei Shaocheng, Wen Yuhan already knew that Liu Zhengju had committed academic fraud several times during his time at the drama academy. The image of the erudite, refined, and meticulous scholar she remembered was long gone.
"I'll call you a car. Should we go to your home or the hospital?" Wen Yuhan took out her phone, opened the ride-hailing app, her fingertips curled slightly, and then she sighed and said, "When you get home, be sure to rest and take your medicine on time."
Liu Zhengju looked at Wen Yuhan, tears and snot hanging from his sparse beard, making him look extremely disheveled. He rubbed his hands, knelt down again, and hugged Wen Yuhan's legs, pleading in a hoarse voice, "Xiaohan... can you... please don't hate me... can you, can you call me 'teacher' one more time..."
Wen Yuhan lowered her eyes and stared at him, her gaze momentarily drawn out.
I remember it was also on a summer night like this when the person in front of me, dressed in a suit and tie, appeared at the end of the dirty alley. He helped me up, who was covered in bruises, bent down to straighten my clothes that had been torn by thugs, and asked me if I needed any help.
At that time, Liu Zhengju probably genuinely felt pity for him. He remembered Liu Zhengju saying in a low voice that his child was probably about the same age as Wen Yuhan. He heard that later, those who followed Liu Zhengju called him teacher, and Liu Zhengju told him that if he wanted, he could also call him teacher.
It was probably from this moment on that the title "teacher" became synonymous with "father" in Wen Yuhan's heart.
The car to the sanatorium arrived, and Wen Yuhan handed the cane back to Liu Zhengju and helped him into the car.
Before leaving, Liu Zhengju turned back and looked deeply at Wen Yuhan. His lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he couldn't say anything.
Take care.
Wen Yuhan closed the car door for Liu Zhengju, and before the car started and drove into the night, she finally uttered softly, "Teacher."
The car roared away, kicking up a cloud of dust. Along with it came Liu Zhengju's hoarse sobs.
This was the last time he saw Liu Zhengju. The next morning, news that "a former leading figure in the art world committed suicide out of fear of punishment for alleged academic fraud" shocked the entire industry, but it only floated on the trending search list for half a day before being replaced by more popular topics.
Even the most immovable ancient tree cannot withstand the decay originating from its roots.
In the end, they will only bring about their own destruction.
...
In the autumn of the same year, the film "The Sun Shines Brightly," produced by Zhonghao Film Industry, caused an unprecedented backlash upon its release, ultimately creating a new box office legend.
Pei Shaocheng won numerous awards at home and abroad for his role as the "assassin" in the film, and the clues hidden in the film about the "plagiarism" incident from many years ago sparked a long period of intense discussion, which was talked about by many movie fans and critics.
After the premiere, Pei Shaocheng canceled his work for the next six months and returned to Shaou Street in Wancheng with Wen Yuhan. Before leaving, he made a special trip to A Luo's shop for a drink. While A Luo was half-drunk, Pei Shaocheng offered to buy the oil painting that Wen Yuhan had given him from her shop at a high price, but Wen Yuhan found out and returned it to him.
The maple leaves in Wancheng turn red earlier than those in Yancheng, and the mountains on the south bank of the Yanjiang River are ablaze with red.
Wen Yuhan placed a bunch of reeds in front of her grandmother's grave and greeted her, "Grandma, I brought him to see you."
Pei Shaocheng put his arm around Wen Yuhan's shoulder, looked at the energetic old lady in the photo, and softly called out, "Grandma."
This wasn't actually the first time he'd come to see Wen Yuhan's grandmother. He'd secretly followed Wen Yuhan here before, but each time he was afraid of being discovered, so he only dared to greet her from afar.
After visiting their grandmother's grave, the two spent a long time with her. As the sun was about to set, they followed the path to the riverbank.
It was the season when reeds were flying everywhere, floating in a thin layer on the shimmering river surface.
As a gust of wind blew by, white fluff flew up from the shore as if it had been snowing.
The ferry on the river emitted a long whistle, and the signal light on the top of the water tower next to it lit up.
Wen Yuhan looked at the river and lit a cigarette, but Pei Shaocheng snatched it from her mouth just as she was about to light it: "Didn't you say you were going to quit smoking?"
He gently curled his lips: "The last one."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the other person's kiss landed on his lips.
Wen Yuhan paused for a moment, then let the other person do as they pleased, and obediently closed his eyes.
"Is this a new way to quit smoking?"
Do you like it?
"not bad."
Tender moments always happen at dusk; the kiss ends just as the sunset falls at its most beautiful moment.
Pei Shaocheng took out an exquisite velvet gift box from his pocket. Even though Wen Yuhan had already guessed what was inside, she still heard her heart pounding when she opened it.
"It seems we can't escape this time." He sighed softly, then watched as Pei Shaocheng knelt on one knee, slowly slipping the ring onto his ring finger, and asked softly, "Where do we go next?"
Pei Shaocheng raised his head and said gently in a deep voice, "Wherever you want to go, we'll go."
As the last rays of dawn faded, Wen Yuhan vaguely saw another butterfly. It fluttered its wings and flew away on its way home.
...
He smiled and said, "Then let's go home."
...
-The End--
A note from the author:
The main story is finally finished! Thank you so much, my lovely readers, for keeping me company all this way!
The next side story will probably be about President Lu and Shen Wei's story, as well as Teacher Wen and Pei Shaocheng's sweet daily life xd;
^3^ Bowing and scattering flowers——
Chapter 92
Every winter or during periods of continuous rain, Wen Yuhan's tenosynovitis would flare up, causing his wrists to swell and ache, making it difficult for him to sleep soundly. Even though he always said it was an old problem, Pei Shaocheng felt as if he had been subjected to a slow, agonizing torture.
To this end, he specifically sought out a nationally renowned traditional Chinese medicine doctor to learn massage therapy. After learning that soaking in hot springs could effectively relieve the pain caused by tenosynovitis, he directly bought a natural hot spring resort in the mountains near Yancheng and persuaded Wen Yuhan to put down his work and take him to the mountains for a period of recuperation.
It was early winter, and the sky was overcast. The trees were bare, except for the pines and cypresses, which stood proudly against the cold, their verdant green against the mountains creating a unique and charming scene.
As soon as the two entered the suite, Wen Yuhan turned on her computer and started organizing the manuscript she had written the night before.
He had quit smoking for over half a year. Initially, his long-term dependence on tobacco caused him to often feel sleepy while writing. Later, Pei Shaocheng switched to drinking tea to help him, but Wen Yuhan felt it wasn't strong enough, so he started chewing tea leaves. At this moment, he opened the white porcelain tea canister, pinched out a small amount of tea, and put it in his mouth. The bitter tea aroma filled his mouth, and his thoughts became clear. As a result, he wrote until sunset.
The computer screen was forcibly closed, and when Wen Yuhan looked up, she saw Pei Shaocheng's dark and deep eyes beneath his slightly furrowed brows.
The room had dimmed, the afterglow bathing it in an orange-red hue. Pei Shaocheng's lips moved, about to speak, but Wen Yuhan interrupted him, giving a faint smile: "Being long-winded is a sign of aging."
Pei Shaocheng sighed, venting his dissatisfaction on Wen Yuhan's client: "It was so difficult to get you to write this, and they're making the most of you. I think I need to have a talk with their CEO, Mr. Lin."
Wen Yuhan raised an eyebrow: "If you act like this, who will dare to ask me to write anything in the future?"
Pei Shaocheng thought to himself, "Of course you don't have to write it. Even if I retire from acting now, I have enough money to live a carefree life for the rest of our lives." But he knew that if he said that, Wen Yuhan would definitely get angry with him, so he could only silently walk behind the other person and massage his shoulders.
Wen Yuhan squinted his eyes in enjoyment and sighed, "I must say, your technique is getting more and more professional."
Seeing that Pei Shaocheng didn't speak, she knew he was upset, so she softened her voice and comforted him, saying, "I know you care about me, but I just forgot about the time once I started writing."
"Does your wrist hurt?" Pei Shaocheng's deep voice came from behind me.
Wen Yuhan clicked his tongue lightly and said, "Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit true."
The hand massaging Wen Yuhan's shoulder paused and moved away. Pei Shaocheng half-squatted down beside Wen Yuhan and took his right hand to examine it. His voice was deeper: "It's all swollen."
"Okay, then you can rub it for me?"
"Uh..." Pei Shaocheng's rebuke was once again easily silenced by the other party. He felt that he probably would never be able to out-argue the man in front of him in his entire life.
"I'll order some food to be brought over first, and after we eat, we'll go soak in the hot springs. I brought some medicinal wine, so I'll massage it for you over there."
"Perfect."
...
Pei Shaocheng arranged a very elaborate dinner, including Wen Yuhan's usual favorite dishes, as well as some fresh fish and shellfish, and local mountain delicacies and wild vegetables.
After finishing their meal, the two followed a cobblestone path to the private hot spring in the backyard. Before they even got close, Wen Yuhan could smell the delicate and refreshing fragrance of winter plum blossoms.
These plum blossoms were specially transplanted by Pei Shaocheng when he bought this hot spring resort, and a gardener was hired to take care of them. Now, the petals are gently drifting into the hot spring pool under the trees, adding a touch of tender vitality to this otherwise bleak and cold winter.
Pei Shaocheng, worried that Wen Yuhan might catch a cold, told him to go inside to change his clothes, while he himself removed the towel around his waist in the courtyard and went into the hot spring first.
The plum wine on the floating table had been warmed in advance and was at the perfect temperature. He leaned against the stone wall of the hot spring pool, relaxed, stretched out his arm to rest on the edge, and looked at the bright full moon in the sky.
The wooden door behind him creaked open. Pei Shaocheng looked in the direction of the sound and was immediately startled. He felt a tightness in his chest, and his heart began to pound violently.
Wen Yuhan was wearing a moon-white bathrobe, which accentuated his slender figure, making him appear even taller than usual. The sash was loosely tied around his waist, and the skin exposed at the collar shone with a cold, porcelain-like whiteness.
In the rising mist and amidst the fluttering plum blossoms, she appeared untouched by worldly dust. Yet, her peach-blossom eyes, which had become quite interested upon seeing the plum wine, added a touch of carefree elegance.
He dipped his ankles into the water to test the temperature, then got out and, without any hesitation, took off his bathrobe in front of Pei Shaocheng and threw it aside.
Pei Shaocheng's Adam's apple bobbed heavily, and his breathing became shallow, but he still couldn't bear to take his gaze off Wen Yuhan.
Even though he was all too familiar with this body, he still couldn't resist the ever-growing allure. He closed his eyes, his throat dry and burning.
"Water sprite..."
Wen Yuhan didn't hear what Pei Shaocheng muttered; his attention was entirely on the bottle of plum wine. He reached out to grab the floating table holding the wine, but his hand slipped, and the table drifted even further away with the current.
Wen Yuhan clicked his tongue in annoyance, somewhat disgusted that Pei Shaocheng was blocking him and Qingmeijiu. Their overly intimate and familiar relationship made him want to step over Pei Shaocheng's legs to the other side.