Still Frame Chapter 79
byChapter 79 Suspicion Arises
There was a slight distance in Levi’s tone, different from before. Although he had always been wary of Levi, his manner of speaking hadn’t felt like this previously.
Levi knew that the words he’d spoken in the kitchen might have caused a rift with Zhang Liuxin. Zhang Liuxin now seemed extremely dependent on Wen Jin, a level of reliance he had never witnessed throughout their years of marriage.
“The Zhang family is in turmoil right now. Madam is constantly guarding Zhang Qiannan in the hospital, but Zhang Qiannan’s recovery is very poor. He reacts slowly when spoken to and can’t get out of bed.”
Zhang Liuxin was no longer particularly concerned about Zhang Qiannan. If it was about family, he had realized after coming of age that the Zhang family was not his home, and Zhang Qiannan was not his true brother. If it was about love, he had completely let go after Wen Jin’s phrase, “He and I are not close.”
This brother, who hadn’t appeared in his life for seven years, now failed to stir any ripples in his heart.
So he simply said flatly, “Zhang Jiming must be very happy.”
Levi helped Doffy with the edge pieces of the puzzle and replied, “If you had asked a few days ago, yes, that was true. Now, it’s the opposite.”
Zhang Liuxin paused, speculating, “Did Zhang Jiming really join forces with Wen Jin’s second paternal uncle? Planning to use Zhang Qiannan’s awakening to create public opinion against the Wen family. Now that the second uncle has fallen, he’s lost his backing, so he sees Zhang Qiannan as a ticking time bomb instead. Zhang Jiming truly is consistent, using his own son as a bargaining chip.”
Zhang Liuxin recalled the chaotic and painful days after the car accident. Zhang Jiming’s face was truly ugly, alternating between flattery and threats, sometimes gentle and amiable, sometimes hysterical.
However, the person who froze this time was Levi, who looked at him with a strange expression. “Who told you this? Young Master Wen?”
He continued, “Mr. Zhang promoted a new assistant a while ago and no longer discusses these things with me. I don’t know if he’s close to that person from the Wen family.”
“However—” Levi lowered his voice, even though there were no outsiders here, “That person was indeed locked up, on the very day Chairman Wen and Madam Yue returned.”
“Wen Jin told me all this. So it seems the hijacking was done by his second paternal uncle. Otherwise, how could it have been so seamless? I wonder if Zhang Jiming knew about it. How could he be so bold as to lay hands on Wen Jin…” Zhang Liuxin narrowed his eyes at this point and looked at Levi.
When Levi realized what he was thinking, he frowned heavily. “Zhang Liuxin, you think I know too? Are you suspecting me?”
Zhang Liuxin shook his head. “No, but I really want to know why you said those things to me in the kitchen.”
Levi stared into his olive-colored eyes for a long time. The first time he met this child, he was only eight or nine years old, very thin, with a sharp little face that made his green eyes look especially large, appearing a bit disproportionate. At the time, he thought the child’s mother must have been very beautiful. Later, the child grew up, tall and graceful, but always looked worried, seeming a bit timid in Levi’s view, much less impressive than Zhang Qiannan. Then, after he got married, he became his assistant. Levi’s job shifted from handling group affairs to running around after the sickly Zhang Qiannan. Initially, he felt uncomfortable, but over time, he found the work leisurely and the salary substantial. Of course, the most important thing was the subtle connection to Wen Jin, and it was this connection that allowed him to leverage the situation and close many deals.
Now, the owner of those olive eyes was thirty years old. He had transformed from the occasionally melancholic and indifferent figure in Yinzhou to the person sitting before him now, asking for an answer with certainty and calmness. Levi couldn’t pinpoint when this change had occurred. Was it during these two weeks in Bernlin?
They faced each other in silence for a moment.
Finally, Levi sighed, took out his phone, opened a certain screen, and placed it in front of him. “I don’t know if Mr. Zhang and the Second Master Wen had any dealings, but you should look at the current public opinion in Yinzhou.”
Zhang Liuxin looked over suspiciously. The moment he saw the words on the screen, his pupils contracted sharply, and his breathing hitched slightly.
Several large, credible media outlets had released news that the two men, Wen and Zhang, who had supposedly disappeared for half a month, were not actually undergoing treatment but had been kidnapped by their own people. The lie about Wen Jin accompanying Zhang Liuxin for rehabilitation was fabricated to avoid public panic.
“When was this released? Didn’t you tell me everything was fine when we spoke on the phone last time?”
Levi: “Yesterday, before we set off. You should know who controls the shares behind these media outlets.”
Zhang Liuxin certainly knew—it was the Wen family. This meant these messages were deliberately released by the Wen family. What was the purpose? They were clearly about to return home.
“What exactly does the Wen family mean?”
Levi shook his head and instead asked, “In the past half month here, have you and Young Master Wen been getting along well? I feel like you are closer than you were in Yinzhou.”
Zhang Liuxin nodded. “Yes.”
Perhaps it was because Wen Jin had claimed from the start that he didn’t speak the Bernlin language and needed Zhang Liuxin to translate for all his communication. While waiting for others to finish speaking, Wen Jin would constantly stare at him. These details, these moments of being watched, brought them closer and closer, making him realize that there was no insurmountable chasm between them.
“Then you can ask him yourself,” Levi seemed to have a guess but didn’t voice it. “He should tell you.”
Just then, a sudden gust of wind outside blew over the vase in the shop, scattering the puzzle pieces on the table everywhere. Doffy cried out in surprise. Tuhui Sha walked out of the kitchen and said to Zhang Liuxin, “Chen, help me pull down this roller blind. It looks like a typhoon is coming.”
Levi got up to help. Zhang Liuxin looked out at the street, which was completely deserted. Only withered leaves drifted across the gray dirt road. The sky was covered in dark clouds. Although it was afternoon, it looked like dusk, almost like the end of the world.
Wen Jin would probably like this kind of weather.
Zhang Liuxin snapped back to reality, but the unease in his heart intensified. A part of him still worried about Wen Jin, while another part wanted to rush to his side immediately and ask him if he was hiding anything else, and what those reports in Yinzhou were all about.
“I feel like it’s going to rain soon. How about we head back to the guesthouse now? I brought you some change of clothes. Oh, and a charger. Where is your exoskeleton?”
It was only then that Zhang Liuxin realized that in these few short days, he had almost adapted to life without the exoskeleton. Because Wen Jin was by his side here, and the people around them didn’t pay excessive attention to him. In fact, Doffy would actively hold his hand.
“It’s in the attic. Let’s go get it.”
The two went up to the attic. Levi took two steps but accidentally kicked something, making a sound. He looked down and saw it was a kerosene lamp.
“A kerosene lamp! I haven’t seen one of these in ages.”
Zhang Liuxin walked to the table and was struggling to close the skylight. Some fallen leaves had blown in, landing on the red-covered book and the half-finished puzzle he and Wen Jin had worked on.
“Have you been living here all this time? It’s a bit small. Is it convenient?”
Zhang Liuxin took the ring out of the cabinet and put it back on his ring finger. Even in the dim light of the attic, the green diamond of that caliber still shone beautifully.
“There’s hot water. It’s quite convenient.” Zhang Liuxin gathered the puzzle pieces, staring at the half-completed picture, unsure what to do with it.
“There’s a puzzle here too. Should we take it back to Yinzhou?”
“Yes, a journalist gave it to me.”
Levi knew that Zhang Liuxin had been an intern reporter at Silver Mirror Station before the car accident and was aware of his dream of becoming a journalist. He was intrigued and asked, “Which journalist? Is he from Bernlin?”
“Daping. I admired him greatly when I was in college. I didn’t expect to meet him here. It’s just a pity that his lower limbs are paralyzed.”
Zhang Liuxin’s expression was hidden in the shadows, and for the first time, Levi found his emotions hard to read.
Levi had found the exoskeleton and picked it up, just in time to see Zhang Liuxin staring blankly at the book on the table.
“Liuxin, we can come back for these things before we leave. Let’s head back to the guesthouse first.”
Zhang Liuxin nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
In truth, nothing here truly belonged to him, except for Wen Jin.
It looked like a downpour was imminent outside. Tuhui Sha handed them two umbrellas and said to Zhang Liuxin before they left, “Chen, if you’re not busy, you can come back and visit again.”
Doffy also hugged him and asked when he would come back to finish the puzzle with her.
Zhang Liuxin said, “I will come back, Feifei. I will finish this puzzle with you.”
On the way from Tuhui Sha’s shop to the guesthouse, the wind howled fiercely. Levi asked if he needed help, noticing his pale face and guessing that his left leg was hurting again.
“It’s fine, I can walk by myself.”
A moment later, Zhang Liuxin’s voice came through the wind, sounding low. “Levi, I just found out that Wen Jin doesn’t think the way I walk is ugly.”
Levi paused, a hint of surprise in his eyes. “Of course he wouldn’t think that. Liuxin, no one thinks that. You are already doing great.”
Levi knew Zhang Liuxin wanted to be a journalist and was also aware that he loved playing tennis. However, after his leg injury, he began to hate all outdoor sports, even becoming somewhat frail during the period after his marriage.
Zhang Liuxin curved his lips. “It’s rare for you to say something like that to me.”
When they arrived at the guesthouse, the receptionist saw that their coats were damp with rain and offered to have the kitchen brew some ginger tea to be sent to their rooms later.
“It’s best not to go out during a typhoon. The wind can easily blow down trees, it’s very dangerous.”
“Understood, thank you for the warning.”
Zhang Liuxin and Wen Jin shared a room. He and Levi separated at the staircase. Levi held up the exoskeleton and gestured, saying, “I’ll bring this over once it’s charged. My number is saved in your new phone.”
“Okay,” Zhang Liuxin paused, then suddenly said, “Thank you for taking care of me.”
Levi smiled. “Why the sudden thanks? I’ve benefited plenty from your husband too.”
He always spoke like that. Zhang Liuxin was amused by the title, but then he thought of Wen Jin and the questions he needed to ask him soon, and his heart sank.
He clutched the room card, hesitating at the door for a moment before finally swiping it open and walking in.
The room was dim, and he heard no sound. Zhang Liuxin looked around but couldn’t find anyone.
“Wen Jin? Are you here?”
A suitcase was on the living room floor, apparently brought by Zhong Sixun, containing clothes and toiletries—all in double portions.
The window was open, and the rain-laden wind blew in. Zhang Liuxin rubbed his arms, feeling cold, so he found a jacket in the suitcase. It was oversized, seemingly Wen Jin’s, but he didn’t pay much attention and put it on immediately.
He looked at the ring on his ring finger again, turning it twice, trying to suppress his anxiety.
Where would Wen Jin go in such heavy rain?