Chapter 50: Bottom Line

During the half-year in the imperial capital, aside from the TV in the rest room, Van Suhua had cut off almost every way Yu Zhu could receive information about the outside world.

No phone, no computer, not even much communication with the maid who attended him.

He had no way to contact his parents to let them know his situation, to ease their worries. He also couldn’t learn how much the events of that year had affected them, or whether they had already started new lives.

He lived in the villa as if on a secluded island, completely cut off from the world.

Whenever he mentioned this to Van Suhua, she would either say he should wait until he was fully recovered before checking, or deliberately dodge the question, subtly hinting at answers he shouldn’t dwell on.

Increasingly, he wrote letters on paper. Often, before finishing, she would appear, forcing him to stop. Once she left, he would black out and tear up the unfinished pages.

“Xihe, are you asleep?”

Van Suhua lightly knocked on the door.

Yu Zhu folded up the single line he had written and walked over to open it.

Tonight, returning from the commercial street, she was slightly different from usual—the sharpness in her eyes had softened, but some other subtle energy seemed unusually high.

She stood at the door in black silk pajamas, long hair cascading over her shoulders, her curves delicate and alluring, her cold beauty offset by an almost innocent smile at the corner of her lips.

Van Suhua stepped into the room, sitting on the cushioned sofa in the corner. Yu Zhu took a seat on the sofa opposite her. She tucked her hair behind her ear and spoke:

“Xihe, about what happened just now… should we have Jingliang come take a look tomorrow?”

Returning to the villa last night, Yu Zhu had felt momentarily dizzy getting out of the car. If she hadn’t been there, he might have fallen straight down. Even though he later said it was fine, she couldn’t help but worry.

“It’s fine,” Yu Zhu wrote. “Really fine.”

Indeed, nothing serious had happened; he had simply remembered something while stepping out of the car.

“Still, let’s have Jingliang come tomorrow. Just for a check. He’d be bored at home anyway.”

“Mm.” Yu Zhu didn’t refuse further.

Having Zhang Jingliang come to the villa wouldn’t change much, but at least one extra person talking was better than the cold silence of the whole villa.

“By the way, Xihe,” Van Suhua walked closer, their breaths mingling.

“Perhaps it’s too early to mention this, but in a few days I’ll hire a Japanese teacher to come to the villa. Do you have any requirements for the teacher?”

Yu Zhu shook his head and wrote on paper.

“Why?”

“Work-related. In half a year, I’ll be dispatched to Japan for long-term market research. You’ll come with me.”

In fact, Van Suhua’s dispatch to Japan wasn’t just about work. In the original trajectory, a new upheaval would hit the imperial capital next year, affecting everyone from politics to commerce, every major family with no exceptions.

So she arranged for herself to be sent abroad at this critical time, avoiding a series of potentially disastrous events.

Abroad?

Yu Zhu was momentarily stunned. Van Suhua continued: “Xihe, maybe then you can return to a normal life,” she paused, “If you want, you can even go back to school.”

School?

Yu Zhu’s hand twitched slightly as she held it.

For a moment, he thought he had misheard.

The word felt hazy, blurred. In his memory, it had been buried too long—he had almost forgotten he had planned a life like this.

Sophomore, junior year, college entrance exams, university, clubs, internships, graduation, work, marriage, children.

He had planned an ordinary life like this.

If nothing had gone wrong, he should now be finishing his first year of university.

Perhaps he had joined some clubs, made a few like-minded friends, played sports, met the right girl, or planned next year’s study schedule.

A normal university life.

Completely unrelated to his current reality.

School?

Yu Zhu’s clear, bright eyes fixed on Van Suhua.

Like a soul floating lightly in the air, landing on solid ground, gaining a connection to the world. Like spotting a lighthouse on a misty sea, finding a direction forward.

Van Suhua looked at him, her voice low, her warm breath brushing the back of his hand.

“Xihe, it’s true. You can return to a normal life.”

“Feeling a bit happier now?”

She smiled like a blooming peach, looking up at him. “I know you weren’t happy seeing them today.”

“Because in this world, no suffering is truly equivalent. Just experiencing the same pain doesn’t erase what has happened.”

“Shall we take it slow? Xihe, let me help you, okay?”

Yu Zhu lowered his gaze.

It felt like a burning coal had fallen into his heart—briefly scorching, leaving only blackened traces.

“Okay,” he wrote.

Once he finished, Van Suhua rose and, in a subtly commanding manner, slowly trapped Yu Zhu in the narrow space between her hands and the sofa.

Leaning against the soft, sagging cushions, her hair brushed his cheek, sending a tiny shiver across him.

From this angle, looking up revealed her smooth, slender chin, the glistening curve of her lips, and her long fluttering eyelashes.

Lower the gaze slightly, and one could see the pale veins on her neck, the elegant line of her collarbones, her fair, delicate chest.

Lower further, and the black silk pajamas brushed against her milky skin, her supple body restrained, swaying slightly.

Tilting his head back, Yu Zhu felt her warm lips press against the corner of his eyes, slowly descending to his lips.

Unlike the first time, there was no awkward stiffness. She gently pushed aside his short hair and gradually stole more air with each breath.

“Xi…he…”

You can go out, go to school, speak to others.

As long as you’re happy.

As long as you’re happy…

As long as you remain within my sight.

Her boundaries receded, step by step, for him.

Outside, sparse starlight vanished among wispy clouds, insects’ chirps masking all other sounds.

The new day’s sun illuminated the earth.

Yu Zhu didn’t wake until nearly noon. Consciousness gradually returned, memories of the last moments before losing awareness slowly resurfacing.

Messy hair, the fiery kiss, the warmth rising from her body.

“Good morning, Xihe.”

Van Suhua stood at the door, neatly dressed, her long hair tied with a black ribbon, graceful and serene.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

Bright, warm sunlight poured over Yu Zhu, each strand of hair catching glimmers of light, perfectly unreal.

Van Suhua blinked against the brilliance, then approached and bent slightly to smooth a few rebellious strands of hair.

“Xihe, the weather’s nice today. After seeing the psychologist, shall we go outside for a walk?”

Yu Zhu stood barefoot on the carpet, glancing at the villa’s front door under the dazzling sunlight, and nodded to her.

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