Still Frame Chapter 69
byChapter 69 Two Drops of Tears
Wen Jin had originally planned to wait until after graduation season and when Zhang Liuxin’s new job was stable before bringing up the wedding. He hadn’t expected an accident to arrive first.
That day was the unveiling ceremony for the academy’s new building. Wen Jin hadn’t planned to attend. He disliked being flattered while at school, and since the building was donated by Wen Huaichuan, it had little to do with him personally.
However, Professor Lin insisted. Professor Lin knew that this distinguished student disliked such occasions, but since Wen Jin had decided to dedicate himself to scientific research and intended to stay on as faculty, this opportunity was perfect for him to interact with some of the academy’s senior figures. Overall, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
So Wen Jin went. On the way, his father’s secretary informed him that media had been arranged for the day, and the young master of the Zhang family would be present. They hoped the two would stand close for some photos, preparing for the formal announcement of the engagement later.
Wen Jin glanced at the message, closed his phone, and dismissed it. He was more curious to see if Zhang Liuxin would show up for an event like this.
He knew Zhang Liuxin had joined the Silver Mirror Terrace, and he also knew Li Hangzhou had joined the Silver Mirror Terrace. However, as far as he knew, the two didn’t interact much, suggesting they had drifted apart.
So there was no need to worry too much.
The unveiling ceremony was indeed lively. The old professors who usually taught him and supervised his experiments at school were calling him Young Master Wen at the ceremony. This feeling caused him a subtle discomfort. He furrowed his brow, scanned the crowd, but saw no familiar face.
Zhang Liuxin’s absence didn’t surprise Wen Jin, but he was surprised that Zhang Qiannan hadn’t arrived either.
The dean was giving a speech nearby, but Wen Jin felt his fingertips growing cold. He rarely felt this way; his scientific background usually kept him rigorous. Yet, at this moment, an unspeakable sense of panic lingered in his heart—a feeling of unease.
A round of applause erupted, and the crowd’s attention turned to him. He needed to speak on behalf of the donor, the Wen family. He stepped onto the podium and spoke with composure.
Finally, the ribbon was cut and the plaque unveiled. Even during the group photo session, there was still no sign of the Zhang family.
The Zhang family—Zhang Qiannan wouldn’t dare stand up Wen Huaichuan. Wen Jin immediately sensed keenly that something might have gone wrong.
The group photo was sent to his phone. Wen Jin casually posted it as a status update. After pressing send, he looked up and saw Zhong Sixun’s expression, and his premonition solidified. He asked, “What happened?”
“The Zhang family’s car was in an accident on the way to the unveiling ceremony.”
Zhong Sixun was one of the few people around him who knew about Zhang Liuxin. Wen Jin’s eyelids twitched violently. For the first time in his life, he didn’t dare ask the next question.
Zhong Sixun’s expression became very serious: “Zhang Liuxin was also in the car.”
Wen Jin didn’t speak for a long time afterward. Zhong Sixun had never seen him look like this and began to think that perhaps that Mr. Zhang was truly important to Wen Jin.
“Where is he now?” Wen Jin finally spoke again, his voice already hoarse.
Zhong Sixun said, “He’s been taken to the hospital. You don’t need to worry too much; his life is not in danger.”
Only then did Wen Jin feel his soul return to his body. He nodded stiffly: “Good. Let’s go back.”
Zhong Sixun couldn’t gauge his thoughts. She had assumed Wen Jin would go straight to the hospital to see Zhang Liuxin. Although it might be slightly improper, given the marital ties between the Wen and Zhang families, a visit from Wen Jin was perfectly acceptable.
“Back to Wenfei Terrace,” Wen Jin said.
Wenfei Terrace was somewhat remote, and Wen Jin rarely went there. Zhong Sixun was puzzled but simply drove him over. Wen Jin found a bottle of red wine and asked her if she wanted a drink.
“No, thank you.” Zhong Sixun was worried about Wen Jin’s state; he rarely drank voluntarily.
She tentatively offered, “Mr. Zhang hasn’t woken up yet. The doctor said it’s a mild concussion.”
Wen Jin paused, then nodded after a moment: “Okay.”
He poured himself a glass of wine and frowned after taking half a sip. Zhong Sixun noticed he hadn’t even decanted the wine. She looked back at him; Wen Jin’s complexion was also dark and unclear. In short, he was miles away from the image of the spirited Young Master Wen who had stood on the stage giving a speech earlier that day.
Wen Jin looked somewhat aloof, but more than that, he looked defeated. This feeling appearing on such a favored son of heaven was truly astonishing.
“Why was Zhang Liuxin in the car with Zhang Qiannan,” Wen Jin murmured, as if talking to himself. “He should dislike that younger brother very much.”
Zhong Sixun didn’t know how to comfort him. It was Wen Jin’s current appearance that made her realize how truly special Mr. Zhang Liuxin was to him.
“You should go back. Investigate this car accident and see if it was the work of one of the Zhang family’s enemies.”
“Understood.”
The final result turned out to be genuinely accidental. Wen Jin was selecting flowers at a florist when he received the investigation email from Zhong Sixun.
Whether it was his luxury car with the five-ones license plate, his stunningly handsome face, or his surrounding aura, the moment he appeared in the flower shop, everyone looked over in unison.
“Which kind of flowers do you need? For family, a lover, a teacher, or a friend?”
This was actually Wen Jin’s first time in a flower shop. He lowered his eyes, scanned the various vibrant flowers, and finally said, “For visiting a patient.”
The shop owner’s smile faded slightly. She nodded and asked who the patient was to him.
Wen Jin stared at an Ice Beauty Lily, and he couldn’t help but recall the photo Zhong Sixun had sent him—Zhang Liuxin’s flawless, pale face lying on the hospital bed.
He paused, then said, “He is my fiancé.”
A tall, handsome man had just come out so plainly and casually. The other staff in the shop couldn’t help but look over again.
“O-okay. Do you have any specific floral arrangements you’d like?”
Wen Jin pointed to the lilies.
While waiting for the bouquet to be wrapped, Wen Jin took a call from Yue Yun. She asked where he was, and Wen Jin said he was at the hospital.
“What are you doing at the hospital? Are you going to see Qiannan? I heard that child might have become a vegetable. What a pity.”
“No.”
“Then who are you going to see? Who is sick recently?”
“Zhang Liuxin.”
“Who is that…” Yue Yun on the other end seemed to think for a moment before recalling the surname. “Is that Zhang Jiming’s eldest son?”
“Yes.”
Yue Yun was suspicious: “Do you know him? Did he also get into a car accident?”
At this point, a premonition suddenly struck her. The way Wen Jin looked when he first told them he wanted to marry into the Zhang family, Wen Jin’s indifferent expression when Zhang Qiannan was mentioned at home over the past two years… She always felt there was a hidden clue, but since her son was so cooperative on such a major issue as marriage, she hadn’t suspected much.
“Mom, I think I forgot to tell you that the person I want to marry is Zhang Liuxin.”
Wen Jin said calmly.
Yue Yun took a full five seconds to react: “Wait, A-Zhuo, what did you say? You and who…”
The call had been hung up. Wen Jin rarely hung up on her. Yue Yun frowned deeply, dialed a number, and spoke directly: “Go and investigate the relationship between A-Zhuo and that Zhang Liuxin from the Zhang family.”
It was truly absurd. She had to send someone to investigate the person her own son admitted he wanted to marry before she could understand the situation.
The bouquet was finally wrapped. It was quite large. Wen Jin held it easily with one hand. Watching his retreating figure, the shop owner sighed internally. This must be the magic of love. Such a handsome and dignified man, yet his back view radiated loneliness after his fiancé fell ill.
The status update visible only to Zhang Liuxin hadn’t received a single like. The night was deep outside. Wen Jin put away his phone and took the flowers upstairs.
He encountered the night shift nurse, who looked at him curiously, probably surprised that someone would bring such a large bouquet to visit a patient late at night.
Zhang Liuxin was indeed the neglected child; there was no one inside or outside the room. Wen Jin knew that a manager named Levi had been looking after him for the past two days, but it was so late, that person must have gone to find a place to sleep.
He entered Zhang Liuxin’s room without obstruction. A figure lay on the bed. Wen Jin placed the flowers nearby and used the moonlight to observe his peaceful, fragile face.
Why did he get into that car?
Zhang Liuxin’s face still held a hint of youthfulness. Wen Jin thought about it; the other person hadn’t changed much since childhood. Even with his eyes closed now, Wen Jin could imagine those captivating green eyes, sparkling with pure, bright light, like a pool of water under the moonlight.
What dream was he having?
Wen Jin watched his sleeping face change from peaceful to pained. He frowned tightly, his breathing quickened, and finally, a tear trembled and slid down the corner of his eye.
Wen Jin felt his heart being corroded by that tear. Strange. Tears were just ordinary fluid containing water, electrolytes, and protein. Why did they have such strong corrosive power?
The corroded area churned, finally rushing violently to his throat. For the first time, Wen Jin felt unable to speak. In the end, he simply reached out a hand and wiped the tear away, along with the tear track hidden in the darkness.
“Don’t cry.” Wen Jin was a very simple person, only capable of saying such simple and useless words.
He only got up to leave once Zhang Liuxin’s breathing stabilized again.
He stayed up all night that day. The next morning, he was summoned back to the Wen residence by his parents. Wen Huaichuan’s expression was poor; he had likely heard from his wife. The feeling of being made a fool of by his son greatly displeased the head of the family.
“Wen Jin, look at the state you’re in. Where were you yesterday?”
Wen Jin lifted his eyelids faintly: “I thought Mom told you.”
“What is this attitude! How dare you speak to your father like that?”
Wen Jin pressed his temples. Yue Yun, seeing her son’s fatigued expression, intervened, telling her husband to sit down and speak properly.
“Speak properly? Yue Yun, look at the son you’ve spoiled! First, he insisted on marrying into the Zhang family, and now he brings up a bastard son. What, are you planning a trick like the ‘Wildcat for the Crown Prince’? We lift the veil at the wedding only to find it’s a stranger with no proper status?”
Wen Jin frowned: “Show him some respect. He is not a bastard. You should be very clear about Zhang Jiming’s marital history.”
“Me respect him?” Wen Huaichuan hadn’t been this emotionally agitated in a long time and almost laughed in anger. “Wen Jin, you’re telling your old man to show respect to a twenty-something kid? Fine, you’ve really grown some guts.”
“Huaichuan, sit down and talk properly. A-Zhuo, you too, drink some water. Don’t deliberately provoke your father.”
The father and son confronted each other for a while, neither speaking. Yue Yun felt her heart tighten. Just as she was about to say something, Wen Jin stood up: “We will hold the engagement banquet after Zhang Liuxin is discharged from the hospital. As for the wedding, I plan to hold it within a month.”
Yue Yun’s eyelids instantly jumped.
“Wen Jin, are you out of your mind? That Zhang Liuxin is disabled in the leg! If you won’t marry a vegetable, what are you doing marrying a cripple?” Wen Huaichuan slammed his hand on the table and stood up. He hadn’t been this angry in a long time, and the atmosphere in the house instantly dropped to freezing point.
“I am merely inviting you to my wedding,” Wen Jin pressed his brow, not looking at Wen Huaichuan. Finally, he addressed Yue Yun, “Mom, I’m returning to Wenfei Terrace.”
He didn’t look back, no matter what Wen Huaichuan said afterward. As he left the Wen house and got into the car, he thought about what to do about Liuxin’s leg.
He hadn’t planned to rush things, but Liuxin needed better medical care and living conditions, or better… exoskeletons. Therefore, the wedding had to be put on the agenda.
As for what his parents thought, he didn’t care.
In short, nothing could stop him from marrying Zhang Liuxin.