Chapter 56 - A Home and a Storm
Although the renovation of the house was largely complete, it still felt somewhat hollow, lacking the cluttered warmth of a life lived together. Over the following days, Li Zi and Li Zhenting carved out time from their busy schedules to frequent various home furnishing centers and shopping malls, gradually filling the void with a mountain of domestic treasures. They eventually agreed to convert the smallest bedroom into a personal gym for Li Zhenting, though the specialized equipment they had ordered would take some time to arrive.
For Li Zhenting, these days were filled with a level of happiness that felt almost surreal, bordering on the precarious. After enduring the most agonizing chapter of his life, it felt as though Li Zi had reached into the abyss and pulled him back into the world of the living. Her patience, her constant presence, and her indulgence were a thousand times more profound than in the past. She made no effort to hide her affection, seemingly determined to propel him into a state of perpetual bliss.
One morning, after Li Zi had left for her classes, Li Zhenting stood alone in the center of the apartment. He surveyed the room he had just finished tidying once more—a sanctuary where every corner bore the mark of his presence. In a moment of uncharacteristic, boyish exuberance, he threw himself onto the bed.
"It’s all mine," he whispered into the blankets. He buried his face deep into the pillow, inhaling the faint, lingering scent of Li Zi’s pheromones. To him, even the very air in this small world tasted of a crystalline sweetness.
Li Qingliu, who had been forced to endure a steady diet of their public displays of affection, found himself reaching his limit. He had no desire to watch a man radiating such vibrant, youthful spirit flaunt his happiness, especially when it stood in such stark contrast to his own shadowed, unrequited pining. His heart felt heavy with a bitter, vinegary ache, and he finally decided to shoo Li Zhenting away.
"I’m getting sick of looking at you lately," Li Qingliu grumbled, waving a hand dismissively. "Go somewhere else and vent that bubbling idiocy of yours before I’m driven to do something drastic."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Li Zhenting looked up, entirely oblivious to the psychological toll his happiness was taking on the resident bachelor.
"I’m saying, stop coming here to show off your love life!" Li Qingliu snapped, nearly at his wit's end. "Don't you have anything else to do?"
The question acted as a sudden wake-up call. Li Zhenting realized there was indeed one piece of unfinished business he had neglected. Because his mental state had been so fragile recently, he hadn't possessed the resolve to arrange it. But now, it was time.
During lunch that day, Li Zhenting broached the subject with Li Zi. "I’m planning to go back to Xi'an Street tomorrow."
Li Zi’s brow furrowed instantly. "Why go back there?"
"I need to inform... her... about Grandmother’s passing," Li Zhenting said slowly, his voice dropping an octave. "After all, she is Grandmother’s only daughter. Even though Grandmother never said it aloud before she died, I don’t believe she truly wanted to be severed from her own child forever. Now that I know the truth, I should let her pay her respects at the grave. Perhaps Grandmother is waiting for her."
Grandmother’s memorial stood in the public cemetery, a silent testament to a difficult life.
"Wait a couple of days," Li Zi suggested, her voice laced with concern. "I’ll go back with you." She worried that facing those ghosts alone might cause him to spiral again.
Li Zhenting shook his head with a gentle smile. "You really treat me like a child, don't you? Thinking I need a chaperone for everything. Let me handle this one on my own."
Across two lifetimes, this recent period had been the most intimate Li Zi and Li Zhenting had ever been. It was the first time they had spent nearly twenty-four hours a day glued to each other’s side. To be honest, the sudden prospect of his departure left Li Zi feeling a strange sense of displacement.
"Fine," she conceded. "But keep in touch constantly. Don't try to tough it out if something happens. And make sure you eat properly while you're there. If you lose even half a pound, you'll have me to deal with."
She issued the warning with a half-serious glint in her eyes.
"I know, I know," Li Zhenting muttered, pouting slightly at being lectured by a lover so much younger than himself. "You’re getting more and more long-winded lately."
"Tsk." Li Zi caught his 'quiet' grumble but suppressed her irritation. Seeing him finally comfortable enough to be a bit spoiled and arrogant—free from the crushing insecurity that once defined him—she decided she could afford to indulge him a little longer.
***
The news of the 'Hot Search' reached Yu Tianwu through an old acquaintance, Senior Xia Tian. The senior, with whom she had barely maintained contact, suddenly sent her a link accompanied by a message: "Junior, it looks like you’re trending... Are they spreading rumors? I know you’re not that kind of person."
Confused, Yu Tianwu clicked the link. As she scrolled through the content, the color drained from her face. Her hand, gripping the phone, began to tremble.
To be honest, she didn't care about the malicious comments or the dredging up of her past. Growing up in the spotlight, she was accustomed to the fickle nature of public opinion. Her mind was occupied by a single, terrifying thought: *Has Yan-ge seen this? Will he believe it? What will he think of me?*
She wasn't particularly worried about the longevity of the scandal itself; she knew her parents' PR team would spot it soon and scrub it from the internet. Nor would the man involved dare to let his fans blow the matter out of proportion—after all, his career had been built on the back of her parents' resources. Yu Tianwu was the person least afraid of the truth coming to light, as she had done nothing wrong. The only ones who truly feared the facts were the other two parties.
But now, there was someone she cherished, a new variable in her life that changed everything. The photos of her with Wang Jing’an were the most troublesome part. If possible, she never wanted to lie to Liu Yan.
Yu Tianwu sat frozen in the art studio, her gaze hollow. Her instructor tapped on her drawing board with dissatisfaction. "Tianwu, your state of mind has been off lately. I don't care what personal matters you're dealing with, but you know how important the upcoming competition is. Don't let it ruin your work. You have talent; don't throw away this opportunity."
Unable to argue, Yu Tianwu simply nodded. She knew the teacher meant well, so she forced herself to focus on the canvas before her. However, the familiar lines and color blocks, and the silhouette she had already established, suddenly felt alien. Drawing like this would only result in another hollow, superficial piece of waste.
When she returned home, she heard the rhythmic sound of stir-frying coming from the kitchen. For once, Yu Tianwu hesitated at the threshold, afraid to step inside.
*Does Yan-ge know? How do I explain this?*
"You're back? Go wash your hands, dinner's almost ready," Liu Yan said, emerging from the kitchen with a steaming dish.
Yu Tianwu scanned his face. Seeing no sign of abnormality, she let out a silent breath of relief. *Thank goodness. Yan-ge doesn't spend much time surfing the web. The storm hasn't reached him yet.*
She forced a bright smile and rushed toward him. "It smells amazing! What did you make today, Yan-ge? Wow, my favorite Mao Xue Wang! You're the best!"
Her cheerful voice echoed through the dining area. Liu Yan turned on the faucet, rinsing the grease from his fingertips. He stared at the flowing water for a long moment, his expression unreadable, before letting out a soft, heavy sigh.
That night, Yu Tianwu was particularly clingy, initiating an intense bout of intimacy. Liu Yan faced her, his legs held close, his hands gripping the bedsheets tightly. His eyes were shut as he endured a wave of physical discomfort and internal conflict.
As Yu Tianwu contentedly licked the scent gland at the nape of his neck, leaning against him and acting spoiled, Liu Yan spoke up abruptly.
"Tianwu, I know about the hot search."
The woman’s movements froze instantly.
"A friend sent it to me," he continued. "He asked if the person in the photo was my girlfriend."
"Yan-ge, I..." Panic surged through her.
"Don't worry. I know you're not that kind of person," Liu Yan said, his voice steady. "You've mentioned your dislike for that actor before; there must be a misunderstanding. And that other boy is just your friend, right? People online are quite bored nowadays, speculating wildly about innocent people."
Yu Tianwu was stunned. She hadn't expected that Liu Yan would have already found a justification for every one of her actions. For a moment, she was speechless.
"I was waiting for you to tell me," he added softly. "We are partners; we should face things together, shouldn't we? Or do you always plan on solving everything by yourself?"
Yu Tianwu had never imagined this reaction. He didn't harbor a shred of suspicion. His only reproach was that she hadn't relied on him more. *How... how can there be someone this good in the world?*
A profound, almost foreign ache swelled in her chest. A stinging heat rose to her eyes, slowly turning them crimson. She bit her lip and buried her face against Liu Yan’s chest.
"I thought... I thought you wouldn't want me anymore."
For some reason, Liu Yan could sense a deep-seated knot within this usually vibrant woman—a hidden, inexplicable grievance that ran far deeper than a simple internet scandal. At that moment, he didn't fully understand the source of it; he simply assumed she was upset by the rumors.
He pulled her closer, stroking her hair as he coaxed her gently. "Next time something like this happens, tell me right away, okay? As long as you tell me, I will believe you. Trust is the most important thing between lovers, Tianwu."
