Still Frame Chapter 5
byChapter 5: An Escape Romance (5)
Seeing that Zhang Liuxin didn’t speak, Wen Jin repeated, “You won’t? Then what does ‘wife’ say?”
Zhang Liuxin didn’t know what Wen Jin was thinking, but he turned to Duofei and said, word by word, in Yinzhou dialect, “He is my wife.”
Duofei imitated him. Although she didn’t understand, it didn’t stop her from repeating the word “wife.”
Zhang Liuxin’s ears burned from being teased by the repeated “wife.” He glanced at Wen Jin, intending to ask why he was even deceiving a child, when he saw Wen Jin raise a hand to tuck in the little girl’s clothes. The ring on his ring finger flashed a faint ocean blue in the sunlight.
In that brief moment, Wen Jin truly looked like a good husband, and even a good father.
“This uncle is my husband.”
Watching the scene, Zhang Liuxin spoke on an impulse, feeling a slight pang of guilt. However, considering they would be leaving soon, the guilt quickly dissipated.
Duofei looked confused, seemingly not understanding how this uncle and the older brother could be a couple. She asked, “Is it like my mommy and daddy?”
“Yes,” Zhang Liuxin patted her head.
“Then why is your ring different from Uncle’s, Gege?” Duofei pointed at Zhang Liuxin’s left hand, then pointed at Wen Jin’s hand and said, “Uncle’s looks blue, and yours is green.”
Hearing this, Zhang Liuxin instinctively looked at Wen Jin’s expression, meeting a gaze that was close at hand. Wen Jin’s eyes were deep and tranquil, like flawless black diamonds.
“What did she say?”
Fortunately, Wen Jin didn’t understand Bernlinian.
“She said…”
Zhang Liuxin was about to say something to gloss over the matter when he heard Tu Yi’er, who was leading the way, say, “We’re here.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed.
Tu Yi’er’s sister ran a small bakery. As soon as Zhang Liuxin stepped through the door, he smelled the warm aroma of fresh bread.
“Chen, Yue, this is my sister, Tu Huisha.”
“Hello, sorry for the intrusion.”
Wen Jin also greeted her using the Bernlinian he had just learned. Tu Huisha took her daughter and smiled at the two of them. “You both look very handsome, and you make a lovely couple.”
Zhang Liuxin smiled and said, “Thank you.”
“Mommy, I want an egg tart!”
“Go get one yourself, and bring some for these two uncles too.”
Soon, Duofei came out carrying a large tray, swaying precariously, which made Zhang Liuxin nervous. Just as he was about to reach out to help her, he saw Wen Jin take the tray with one hand and place it steadily on the small table nearby.
Tu Huisha said, “These have a filling, it’s peach jam. Try one.”
Zhang Liuxin picked one up and instinctively reached out to offer it to the side, his hand brushing against the wrist of the person next to him. He looked up, meeting Wen Jin’s gaze, and saw the egg tart in Wen Jin’s expressionless hand.
Tu Huisha chuckled. “You two are so affectionate. Have you been married for many years?”
Wen Jin had already withdrawn his hand. Relying on the fact that he couldn’t understand the language, he calmly began eating the egg tart. Zhang Liuxin sheepishly retracted his hand and said, “Yes, seven years.”
Tu Huisha was surprised. “I can’t tell at all. Mr. Chen looks like a student.”
“I’m already thirty,” Zhang Liuxin pointed to the shallow fine line near his eye. “Getting old.”
After speaking, he secretly glanced at Wen Jin. Regrettably, there were no marks on Wen Jin’s face at all. It was truly enviable; not only did he have such good looks, but because he rarely smiled, he didn’t even have laugh lines.
“What are you looking at?”
Wen Jin had already finished his second egg tart. Zhang Liuxin found this somewhat novel, as Wen Jin rarely ate sweets.
“Nothing,” Zhang Liuxin wiped his hands. “Miss Tu, may we borrow your satellite phone?”
Tu Huisha nodded. “Follow me.”
“Wen Jin, we’re going to make a call.”
Wen Jin ignored him, stood up, and followed Tu Huisha into the back room.
What was wrong with this young master now?
“You can use this,” Tu Huisha pointed to the landline phone on the cabinet.
“Thank you.”
After Tu Huisha left, Wen Jin picked up the phone and handed it to Zhang Liuxin, signaling for him to call first.
Zhang Liuxin took the phone, but hesitated before pressing the buttons. He didn’t know who to call. This sudden disappearance would likely cause considerable trouble for the Zhang family. Calling his family would only result in unpleasant accusations, and his other friends couldn’t help much. After thinking it over, he handed the phone back to Wen Jin. “You call. Contact your family.”
Wen Jin nodded. Zhang Liuxin sat on the nearby sofa to wait for him. After a moment, the call was connected.
“Chengzhi.”
Surprisingly, Wen Jin didn’t call his parents first, but Colonel Duan.
The person on the other end was likely asking about their situation. Wen Jin briefly summarized what happened. “Not injured, relatively safe now.”
“…”
“Yes, no cell phones. We are in Selin City, Bernlin Prefecture.”
Following this, the person on the other end spoke for a long time. Wen Jin’s expression grew stern. Zhang Liuxin unconsciously tensed up and stood.
“Alright, then contact Sixun. She knows how to handle it.”
After hanging up, Zhang Liuxin quickly asked, “What happened? When can we leave?”
“There’s been a situation in Yinzhou.” Wen Jin pinched the bridge of his nose, showing a rare trace of fatigue.
“There was an insider in the Wen family who managed to infiltrate the accompanying flight crew this time, but we don’t know the purpose of the hijacking. Duan Chengzhi will investigate.”
An insider who could infiltrate Wen Jin’s accompanying personnel…
Zhang Liuxin was startled. “Is it someone from your main family? They must have been with you for many years.”
“Yes. We don’t know who is behind them. Also, an account book from the main family is missing. We are currently conducting an internal investigation. My parents are in another prefecture and can’t rush back.”
For a prominent family like the Wen family, which held significant influence across Yinzhou, the loss of accounts was no small matter. The fact that it happened precisely when the family heads were away made it hard not to suspect a long-planned conspiracy.
“Then when are we going back? Is it really okay for you not to be home?”
Although Wen Jin had always been involved in scientific research, he held a significant position in the Prefectural Committee and was the publicly recognized heir of the Wen family. At such a critical time, he should rightfully return to take charge.
“My father’s chief secretary is still in Yinzhou, and my maternal grandparents will also assist. There won’t be too much chaos,” Wen Jin paused, finally returning to the matter concerning himself. “I’ve been indicted by the Prefectural Security Bureau.”
Zhang Liuxin’s breath hitched, and his mind went blank. After a moment, he asked, “What… do you mean?”
“Duan Chengzhi said this is someone targeting the Wen family. They seized the moment we lost contact to submit so-called evidence that I was carrying top-secret classified information and trading with another prefecture. The Prefectural Security Bureau has now initiated an emergency indictment. The moment I show up in Yinzhou, I will be controlled and restricted in my movements.”
“However, due to our marriage relationship and the Zhang family, there are too many cooperative ties involved. Therefore, the Security Bureau’s indictment is only internal and confidential for now; it won’t be leaked immediately.”
Wen Jin had said too much at once. Zhang Liuxin still couldn’t comprehend why a hijacking and one night of being out of contact could cause the outside world to turn upside down so drastically.
“So Colonel Duan means for us to stay here?”
Zhang Liuxin wasn’t foolish enough to think this had nothing to do with him. Given the current level of entanglement between the Wen and Zhang families, any slight disturbance on Wen Jin’s side would immediately draw the spotlight onto him. He couldn’t return to Yinzhou on his own.
“Yes. He and the Zhang family will mediate. More needs to wait until my parents return to Yinzhou to be handled. Before that, if I am summoned by the Security Bureau in Yinzhou, the news still won’t be kept secret, and things will only become more complicated.”
“Should we call your uncle and aunt? Can we reach them?”
Wen Jin pulled at his lips with a hint of helplessness. Zhang Liuxin realized he had spoken out of panic. Wen Jin’s parents must have also received news from Yinzhou. If the two parties contacted each other now, it would only shift the blame to the other side.
“We shouldn’t contact Duan Chengzhi again for now, but he knows our location. He will send people over once the situation in Yinzhou stabilizes.”
Zhang Liuxin sank onto the sofa. “How long will that take?”
The feeling of being penniless and cut off from the outside world made him feel very insecure. Sometimes he had to admit that while he always resented living under the spotlight, being watched and interpreted by countless people, now that he was completely removed from that environment, he felt a sense of detached emptiness.
“I don’t know,” Wen Jin rarely spoke so vaguely, indicating that the situation was indeed severe. “Based on my parents’ travel schedule, at least ten days.”
Zhang Liuxin remembered that Wen Jin’s parents were on an official visit. Such an itinerary absolutely could not be interrupted midway. It seemed the mastermind had truly prepared thoroughly this time.
“Ten days…”
For these ten days, he and Wen Jin couldn’t contact anyone outside and could only stay in this place where they only knew each other?
“I wonder what the TV station will do…”
In the current situation, Zhang Liuxin wouldn’t contact Levi on his own initiative. After all, Levi was never his person, but the Zhang family’s.
“My assistant will handle it. Don’t worry.”
“Okay.”
“Then where will we stay here? Will anyone recognize us?”
Zhang Liuxin was a little worried. He and Wen Jin were often seen in Yinzhou, but they occasionally accepted invitations to forums and visits in other prefectures, which were covered by the media.
“But probably not. You don’t even speak Bernlinian.”
Zhang Liuxin reconsidered. Even someone like Wen Jin didn’t speak Bernlinian and rarely came here, suggesting that Bernlin Prefecture didn’t have much interaction with other prefectures.
Wen Jin pulled at the corner of his mouth, twirled the ring on his finger, and spoke coldly, “That question is more appropriate for you, Anchor Zhang.”
Wen Jin was still making such a deadly cold joke with him at a time like this. Zhang Liuxin pouted. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but since leaving Yinzhou, Wen Jin had suddenly become like he was in college. At that time, he wasn’t active in the public eye and hadn’t achieved his current high status. He was usually like this, mostly too lazy to bother with people, but sometimes he would suddenly blurt out a sarcastic remark.
“Go talk to this family and see if we can stay here for a while,” Wen Jin said.
That was the only option. At least the Tu siblings seemed kind.