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墨書 Inktalez
Zhou Xuanyu glanced through the floor-to-ceiling glass into his office.
Inside, a man was sitting on the sofa while Galen poured him a cup of coffee.
Perhaps due to his profession, the man's gaze was restless. Even though Galen was speaking to him, his eyes wandered around the office, taking in the decor.
Zhou Xuanyu pushed the door open and entered.
"Mr. Zhou," Galen called out.
The man stood up at the sound of his name, offering Zhou Xuanyu a polite smile.
"Mr. Zhou, this is Mr. Wang, the head of Tianhai Detective Agency," Galen introduced.
"Hello," Zhou Xuanyu said, extending his hand.
"Hello, Mr. Zhou. I am Wang Tianhai." Wang Tianhai's eyes were small, but there was a sharpness in them that suggested he was quite astute.
"Would you like something to drink, Mr. Zhou?" Galen asked.
Zhou Xuanyu shook his head.
"You can leave now."
"Alright."
Galen nodded to Wang Tianhai and walked out. She was genuinely curious about what matter had prompted Zhou Xuanyu to hire a private detective.
The sounds of small talk between the two men echoed in her ears as she reached the door. Just as she was about to close it, she caught a name.
She shivered, feeling goosebumps all over her body.
"The Wen Wei Corruption Case from back then?"
Wang Tianhai looked at Zhou Xuanyu. Although somewhat surprised, she maintained her composure.
"Yes," Zhou Xuanyu nodded. "I wonder if Mr. Wang can take on this case?"
Wang Tianhai did not respond immediately.
The Wen Wei Corruption Case was a classic example of a case where both the perpetrator and the evidence were clear; all documents explicitly showed that Wen Wei and his wife, Yang Tingfang, embezzled public funds.
Although Wen Wei and Yang Tingfang had always claimed they were wronged, to the media, their cries of innocence seemed as futile as a drunk insisting they were sober.
Later, Wen Wei appealed, but due to overwhelming evidence, he lost repeatedly. He found himself imprisoned, cut off from connections, and gradually unable to afford the high legal fees, ultimately having to give up.
The downfall of the Wen Family was something no one had anticipated at the time. While many sighed in sympathy, there were just as many who reveled in their misfortune.
Unexpectedly, five years later, this man before her wanted to reopen the case.
"What’s wrong?" Seeing Wang Tianhai remain silent, Zhou Xuanyu raised an eyebrow. "Is Mr. Wang not capable? If you can't handle it, that's fine; I can find someone else."
"Mr. Zhou, that's not what I meant. As long as you can afford it, there's nothing I can't do," Wang Tianhai replied, pausing for a moment before adding, "However, the premise is that Wen Wei is truly innocent."
Zhou Xuanyu shrugged.
"This result should be something you tell me."
If he could confirm that Junxi's father was innocent, why would he need a detective? Everything he was doing stemmed from his own uncertainty about whether Junxi was telling the truth.
He certainly hoped she was right and was willing to believe so.
Zhou Xuan Yong sat in his wheelchair, a freshly brewed cup of tea beside him, the aroma wafting through the air as he focused intently on the rain outside the porch.
It was raining.
This New Year felt particularly lonely; those who should have been there were absent. Only his younger brother, Zhou Xuanyu, had sent gifts as he did every year.
A car pulled up in the yard, and he looked up to see Galen stepping out.
She wore a fitted suit and a pencil skirt, opening a rainbow umbrella as she splashed through puddles, jogging toward him.
Galen was always graceful in public and private alike, but today she seemed a bit rushed. Her high heels stumbled more than once on the uneven cobblestone path.
"Sir, Manager Gao has arrived," the butler announced shortly after.
"Let her in."
Zhou Xuan Yong turned his wheelchair to face the door.
Galen entered, her expression still one of impatience.
"Come over and have some tea with me," Zhou Xuan Yong said first.
Galen pressed her lips together, swallowing back the words she had intended to say as she walked over to him.
On the tea table sat a pot of brewed tea. She picked up a round ceramic cup and poured herself a drink before sitting down beside Zhou Xuan Yong.
"I..."
"Where has Zhou Ziyan been lately?" Zhou Xuan Yong asked.
"I don't know. After he left Hengfu Group, his schedule was no longer under my control," Galen reported truthfully.
"Why did he suddenly leave Hengfu Group?"
"Well..."
"Is it because of that daughter from the Wen Family?"
Galen nodded.
Indeed, Zhou Ziyan's entry into and exit from Hengfu Group were both due to Wen Junxi.
Seeing Galen nod, Zhou Xuan Yong furrowed his brow and raised his hand, knocking over the teacup beside him.
With a loud crash, tea splashed everywhere.
"How ridiculous!"
Zhou Xuan Yong rarely got angry about matters concerning Zhou Ziyan; most of the time, he was indulgent towards him. But today, upon hearing that Zhou Ziyan left Hengfu Group for a woman, especially one from the Wen Family, he couldn't contain the anger brewing inside him.
"Zhou Ziyan is still young..." Galen hesitated to continue.
"What do you want to say?"
Zhou Xuan Yong immediately picked up on the underlying meaning in Galen's words.
"Mr. Zhou, he is with Wen Junxi."
Yes, even the mature and composed Mr. Zhou had become a captive of that girl. For her sake, his emotions fluctuated wildly, and for quite some time, he became someone so unlike himself.
Now, he finally had her, but something even more unimaginable had happened...
"Are you saying that Xuan Yu is with the daughter of the Wen Family?" Zhou Xuan Yong appeared somewhat incredulous.
His brother, who had been impervious to all for five years, how could he be easily tamed? He had thought that once his brother returned to Qingcheng, he would still guard his heart and not let anyone in.
It seemed he had underestimated the situation.
"That's not the key point," Galen's face showed a hint of anxiety.
She hadn't even had the chance to state her purpose for coming here today.
"Then what is the key point?" Zhou Xuan Yong looked at Galen, unable to think of anything worse.
Galen hesitated for a moment.
"What else is there that you can't tell me?" Zhou Xuan Yong couldn't help but raise his voice, urging her on.
The more she acted this way, the more curious he became.
Galen leaned in closer and whispered a name into Zhou Xuan Yong's ear.
Zhou Xuan Yong instantly straightened his back.
"You mean Wen Wei?"
Junxi brought the dishes to the table while Zhou Xuanyu sat on the sofa, troubled over tomorrow's meeting. Junxi watched him frown in thought but felt helpless to assist.
She walked over, snatched the computer from Zhou Xuanyu's hands, and placed it on the coffee table beside them.
"Let's eat first," she said, holding onto his arm.
Zhou Xuanyu remained seated, not moving. If he didn't budge, she couldn't pull him along either.
"Are you going to eat or not?" Junxi tightened her grip on his arm.
"I'm not hungry." Zhou Xuanyu exerted a little force, causing Junxi to fall back into his embrace.
"Don't you like the Spicy Cabbage that Grandma made? She asked me to bring some back; it's appetizing." As she spoke, Junxi tried to free herself from his hold. "Wait a moment, I'll go get it for you."
"Don't move." Zhou Xuanyu held her restless hands in place. "Let me hold you for a bit."
His voice carried a hint of fatigue. Junxi knew that after returning from Grandma's, he had accumulated a lot of work. These days, he was busy with his own matters and still had to help her prepare for meeting her parents.
Junxi raised her hand and gently pressed her two fingers on either side of Zhou Xuanyu's temples. With a light touch, she began to massage his temples.
Zhou Xuanyu felt a dull ache at his temples; as she pressed, the tightness and discomfort gradually faded away. He leaned against Junxi's shoulder, allowing her to do as she pleased.
"Do you feel better?" Junxi paused and turned her head to look at Zhou Xuanyu.
"Press a little harder," he replied.
Obediently, Junxi increased the pressure of her fingers. After a while, her small hands began to move down and grasped his shoulders.
Zhou Xuanyu had never realized how skilled Junxi was at massage.
"Where did you learn this?"
"Huh?" Junxi was momentarily taken aback before realizing that Zhou Xuanyu was asking about her massage skills. "Grandma often has sore shoulders. She said it helps when I massage them. The more I did it, the better I got at it."
Zhou Xuanyu said nothing; he simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the tingling sensation she created on his shoulders.
"Are you dating someone?" Junxi suddenly said.
Zhou Xuanyu opened his eyes.
"What did you say?"
"I admitted it, and I promised them that I would bring you to meet them next time." Junxi said while observing Zhou Xuanyu's reaction.
Zhou Xuanyu's expression remained unchanged.
"Would you be willing to accompany me to meet them next time?" Junxi paused her movements, wrapping her arms around Zhou Xuanyu's neck and hugging him tightly.
"Of course." Zhou Xuanyu kissed her forehead, holding her close.
Hearing his unwavering affirmation made Junxi's eyes feel a bit teary.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't moved.
She still vividly remembered the feeling of being avoided by everyone because of her parents' case. If only there had been someone like Zhou Xuanyu standing firmly by her side back then, perhaps her life over the years wouldn't have been so difficult.
Junxi leaned in, pressing her lips against Zhou Xuanyu's.
She simply wanted to kiss this man properly.
Ever since he came into her life, everything had become more beautiful and filled with hope.
Just as they were lost in their kiss, Zhou Xuanyu's phone suddenly rang.
Due to their entangled positions, the phone had slipped out of his pocket and landed on the sofa, so Junxi reached for it before Zhou Xuanyu could.
She saw the name on the screen and immediately pushed the phone towards Zhou Xuanyu, signaling him to answer quickly.
"Your brother."
Zhou Xuanyu took the phone, not as anxious as Junxi. He gently ran his fingers through Junxi's tousled long hair before standing up and walking to the balcony.
"Big Brother."
Zhou Xuanyu answered the call, calling out but receiving no response from the other end.
"Big Brother?" A sense of unease crept into Zhou Xuanyu; he feared that something might be wrong with his elder brother, Zhou Xuan Yong.
"It's me," Zhou Xuan Yong finally spoke up.
His voice sounded relatively energetic.
"Is there something up?"
"Nothing much, just wanted to have a chat with you," Zhou Xuan Yong's tone seemed casual. However, Zhou Xuanyu felt that this casualness was somewhat forced.
Ever since Zhou Xuan Yong fell ill, he rarely made such small talk over the phone anymore because he didn't want to waste his time.
Most of the time, when Zhou Xuan Yong called, it was for a specific purpose, even when it came to his younger brother.
Zhou Xuanyu replied with a simple "Mm," waiting for him to continue.
"It used to be because you were in France, so I didn't insist on you coming back for the New Year. But this year you're in the country; why aren't you coming back at all?"
Zhou Xuan Yong's slightly reproachful tone made Zhou Xuanyu feel a twinge of guilt.
"I've been tied up with some other matters this year," he explained.
"What is it?" Zhou Xuan Yong asked in return, then added, "Have you gotten a girlfriend?"
Zhou Xuanyu did not expect his older brother to guess so accurately. He thought for a moment and realized that perhaps it wasn't just a guess.
"Yes," he admitted.
This was not something he needed to hide; after all, getting a girlfriend was exactly what his brother hoped to see.
"Then shouldn't you bring her back for me to meet? You know my time is limited..."
"Brother," Zhou Xuanyu interrupted Zhou Xuan Yong, "I do plan to bring her back to meet you."
He couldn't bear to hear his brother talk about life and death, and besides, he genuinely intended to bring Junxi back to meet him. He had not done so before because he was worried that Zhou Ziyan might feel uncomfortable. But now that Zhou Ziyan was abroad taking a break, he felt more at ease and had nothing to worry about.
"Then there's no time like the present; how about tomorrow at noon?" Zhou Xuan Yong quickly set the time.
Zhou Xuanyu turned and glanced at Junxi in the room.
Junxi was carrying several plates of food that had already cooled down back to the kitchen to reheat...
"Alright," Zhou Xuanyu agreed.
"I'll have the chef prepare a few more dishes for tomorrow. Does your girlfriend have any special preferences?" Zhou Xuan Yong asked thoughtfully.
Zhou Xuanyu initially wanted to say it wasn't necessary, but then he reconsidered. This was the first time he would formally introduce Junxi to his family, and if it made her feel appreciated by his brother, it would be a good thing.
He mentioned a few dishes that Junxi loved.
"Great. I've noted them down," Zhou Xuan Yong repeated the names of the dishes on his end and then reminded him, "Come early tomorrow."
"Okay."
Zhou Xuanyu turned and stepped back inside from the balcony.
It was really cold outside; he had only stood there for a short while, and it felt as if he had frozen over.
"The food has gone cold; we need to heat it up before we can eat," Junxi said as she emerged from the kitchen, holding a large jar.
It was the Spicy Cabbage they had brought from her grandmother's house.
At the time, Zhou Xuanyu had only mentioned how refreshing and appetizing it was, and the elderly lady insisted they take the entire jar with them.
Junxi placed the jar on the table. Wearing disposable plastic gloves, she slowly reached into the opening and soon pulled out a piece of cabbage that was dyed bright red from the chili. She tore off some leaves and placed them onto a plate.
"Come over and have a taste," Junxi said, pinching a leaf and putting it in her mouth, immediately gasping at the spiciness.
Zhou Xuanyu walked over, and she picked up another piece, offering it to his mouth.
He obediently opened his mouth, and his tongue was quickly overwhelmed by a burst of spiciness that seemed to awaken his taste buds in an instant.
"Does it still taste like this?" Junxi asked.
Zhou Xuanyu nodded.
"That's good."
As she spoke, Junxi picked up another piece and tried to feed it to Zhou Xuanyu again. He grasped her hand firmly.
"Why don't you come home with me for dinner tomorrow?"
"Sure," Junxi replied without a second thought.
"I'm not talking about Yatian's home."
"Then where is it?" Junxi blinked.
"It's the Zhou family."
"The Zhou family?" Junxi immediately withdrew her hand.
"What's wrong? Are you unwilling?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling." Junxi shook her head quickly.
It's just that she felt a bit nervous.
The Uncle Zhou from her memories was very different from the Uncle Zhou now. She recalled their previous meetings, and it seemed there had never been a moment of warmth; instead, she could sense Uncle Zhou's hostility towards her.
Uncle Zhou used to be her father's best friend.
Junxi felt a chill in her heart. Even though her heart had been battered, watching those who were once the "best" and "closest" turn into the "coldest" and "farthest" still brought a numbing pain.
If this Uncle Zhou weren't Zhou Xuanyu's older brother and Zhou Ziyan's father, she would never have to see him again. But his special status forced her to meet him.
She hadn't forced herself to do things she didn't want to do or see people she didn't want to see for a long time, so she was quite anxious. She feared that she might not perform well.
"If you don't want to, we don't have to go."
Although she denied it quickly, Zhou Xuanyu could still sense something.
"No, we should go." Junxi nodded seriously. "He is your family. You promised to meet my parents, so how can I refuse to meet your brother?"
She was indeed fair.
Zhou Xuanyu looked at her serious little face, and his heart softened. He reached out and pulled her into his embrace.
"Junxi, you have to remember, I will never force you to do anything you don't want to do."
His voice was tender and sincere, gently brushing against her ear.
Junxi still wore plastic gloves smeared with chili sauce on her hands. She felt like a puppet, her arms stiffly extended, afraid to move as he held her.
"Anything related to you is something I want to do," she replied earnestly.
Zhou Xuanyu held her tighter.
After a while in his embrace, Junxi's arms began to ache, and she finally protested.
"Let go! My arms are going numb." She shook her arms lightly.
"Why don't you hold me?" Zhou Xuanyu asked.
"I'm afraid I'll dirty your clothes."
Zhou Xuanyu was dressed head to toe in designer brands, and she didn't dare touch him with her chili sauce-covered hands. If she stained something, it would take her a month's salary to pay for it.
"It's okay."
"How can it be okay? It's so expensive; I can't afford it," Junxi blurted out her thoughts.
Zhou Xuanyu laughed. "Who said you have to pay?"
"Don't I have to pay?"
"You don't have to pay money, but you have to keep me company tonight," Zhou Xuanyu said playfully, tightening his hold on her even more.
Junxi could feel the fire on his body slowly spreading to hers.
The more she wanted him to let go, the less Zhou Xuanyu was willing to do so.
After several exchanges, he lowered his head and began to kiss her, forcefully pressing her hand against his waist as he did.
A bright red stain appeared on his pure white shirt.
"Hey! It's dirty!"
"I know."
"Then why won't you let go..."
Junxi exclaimed, but her voice was quickly swallowed by him.
They were already wrapped in each other's arms; there was no reason to separate now.
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