Still Frame Chapter 72
byChapter 72 I Love You
Finally, it was the wedding day. In Wen Jin’s memory, everything was perfect.
He was very satisfied with the willow-branch-shaped brooch that He Qing had designed, especially the green diamond set into it. It truly matched the color of Zhang Liuxin’s eyes in the sunlight.
“Zoning out again.”
Today was an overcast day, a rare gloomy day that Wen Jin disliked. But because of the person in front of him, whose eyes seemed veiled by a thin layer of mist, he didn’t know what Zhang Liuxin was thinking.
“Sorry.” Zhang Liuxin’s lips curved downward slightly.
Wen Jin didn’t understand what was on his mind. Perhaps too many strangers had come today, and the other man was feeling a bit constrained. This constraint became even more obvious when he saw the Governor.
Feeling like Zhang Liuxin might wither away at any second, Wen Jin cut the conversation short and had someone take him to prepare for the wedding ceremony.
He replaced his boutonnière with the brooch, examining the emerald adorning his suit in the mirror. He saw Lü Zixia and He Qing enter, arm in arm again. Lü Zixia whistled at him. “I was wondering where the groom was. Turns out he’s here admiring himself.”
Wen Jin was in an excellent mood. He glanced at him lightly and said nothing.
“The ceremony is about to start, isn’t it, A-Zhuo? Are you nervous?” He Qing asked with a smile.
Nervous? Wen Jin rarely experienced that emotion. There was almost nothing that made him feel uncertain, so he said, “Not nervous.”
After a moment of silence, he added, “He seems very nervous.”
It took He Qing a moment to realize that “He” referred to Zhang Liuxin. Lü Zixia rolled his eyes at Wen Jin in annoyance. “Wen Jin, you’ve truly become a very boring married man.”
Wen Jin didn’t deny it, saying easily, “So you thought I was interesting before I got married.”
Lü Zixia nearly spat out yesterday’s dinner. He crossed his legs, turned his back, and tapped away on his phone keyboard, chatting with someone unknown.
He Qing was more observant. Suddenly remembering that Zhang Liuxin seemed to be a solitary person, he asked, “Did Liuxin’s birth mother not come? I only saw Chairman Zhang and Madam Ren.”
He Qing hadn’t been in Yinzhou for the past few years. When he returned and heard about Wen Jin’s marriage, it was through snippets of conversation that he realized everyone initially thought Wen Jin was marrying Zhang Liuxin’s younger brother, Zhang Qiannan. However, Zhang Qiannan had the misfortune of becoming a vegetative state after a car accident, which led to the talk of Zhang Liuxin being a “substitute bride.”
Of course, as Wen Jin’s close friend, he knew the truth—the “substitute bride” talk was nonsense. On such a happy day, he wouldn’t be tactless enough to bring up Zhang Qiannan. But when he spoke to Zhang Liuxin earlier, he felt that besides the constraint, there was also a sense of loneliness in his eyes.
That loneliness flashed across Wen Jin’s face at that moment, and then he said, “She couldn’t make it.”
There could be many reasons why she couldn’t come, especially given the Zhang family’s unique situation. But judging from Wen Jin’s expression, the reason was likely the worst one.
They didn’t talk much more before Duan Chengzhi came in to say the wedding was about to begin.
“A-Qing, your brother is looking for you. Is that lady next to him his girlfriend?”
He Qing curved his lips. “Yes, they’ve been dating for three years.”
Duan Chengzhi nodded, then turned his attention back to Wen Jin. “Let’s go, A-Zhuo.”
“Alright.”
He had just denied He Qing’s suggestion that he was “nervous,” but standing on the stage, looking at the tightly closed wooden doors ahead, Wen Jin realized his palms were actually sweating.
He had originally wanted to choose lilies for the wedding flowers—the lilies that made Zhang Liuxin sneeze when they first met. But a large area of lilies posed a risk of poisoning the guests, so he gave up on the idea. The island had an abundance of white camellias. Camellias are delicate flowers, undeniably pure and beautiful. So, they were ultimately chosen as the main flower. When Wen Jin saw the resilient petals of the camellia, he first thought of Zhang Liuxin’s profile.
The wooden doors were pushed open. In a soft glow, he saw Liuxin. In that instant, Wen Jin felt his breathing lighten by half a beat.
Liuxin walked toward him slowly, stepping on one halo of light after another. Wen Jin’s eyesight had deteriorated slightly recently, so with every step Zhang Liuxin took toward him, he felt the other man’s appearance become clearer in his heart. Finally, he only needed to lower his eyes slightly to see the silver buttons on Liuxin’s wedding attire catching the warm light, the gentle curve of his eyes, like a faint smudge of oil paint. And those eyes, spanning so many years, still shone like an unclouded green gem, dazzling before Wen Jin once more.
Liuxin wore a very faint scent of perfume, subtly blending with the surrounding floral decorations. Wen Jin belatedly realized he was somewhat lost in thought. Looking at his own blurred reflection in those green eyes, he thought again of the green brooch on his chest, over his heart.
He must not have been mistaken. The lake in Liuxin’s eyes rippled, carrying a hazy sheen of tears, which stirred something in his heart.
Why was he crying again?
Wen Jin wondered, was he sad today too? Like in his dreams.
It wasn’t until the officiant prompted them to exchange vows that he slowly began to speak.
He was not a very expressive person. He was even somewhat isolated as a child because his home was always quiet, his parents were busy with official duties, and he became more silent in his silence.
Or rather, he was a person who habitually did more than he said. Many times, he didn’t know how to express himself, perhaps because he had no model to learn from. His parents, praised by countless people for their deep affection, never expressed anything to each other at home. Wen Jin had no way of knowing whether their relationship was love or kinship.
Fortunately, he had now met Zhang Liuxin—a person who was the complete opposite of him: reserved, hesitant, fragile, yet incredibly brave, passionate, resilient, and possessing a pair of olive-green eyes unlike anyone else’s. His current spouse, his partner for the rest of his life.
At this point, Wen Jin felt he had found the answer to the lesson his parents hadn’t taught him in the person before him. So, what should he say? He should say thank you.
“Liuxin.” In his memory, he rarely called him by his name like this.
“Thank you very much for being my beloved and continuing to walk this path with me in the future.” His parents might not have had love, but they had made it this far, through such a long time and distance. Then his and Zhang Liuxin’s “future” would surely be even longer.
“I promise you that I will always love you, cherish you, and I will be eternally faithful to you.”
Wen Jin watched the expression on the person before him shift from shock to deep emotion—probably the most vivid expression he had seen since the car accident.
Immediately afterward, he heard Liuxin say, “Wen Jin, I love you.”
The lake in Liuxin’s eyes became more turbulent, tears threatening to spill the next second. But Wen Jin finally understood, realizing in that phrase, “I love you,” that Liuxin wasn’t sad; it was because of love.
The ring box was opened. Wen Jin glanced at the wedding rings, prepared by his mother. One look was enough to tell they were expensive, but as he picked one up and slid it onto the base of Zhang Liuxin’s ring finger, he felt the ring didn’t quite suit him.
So, in that moment, he decided to find time later to modify the brooch, turning it into a ring more suitable for Zhang Liuxin, and replace the one on his hand.
As this thought crossed his mind, he felt a slightly cool hand lift his left hand. Zhang Liuxin’s hand was smaller than his, more delicate, and equally beautiful. At this distance, his trembling fingertips were exposed. Wen Jin guessed he might be nervous. The thought that this nervousness was because he was putting a ring on him inevitably brought a surge of pleasure.
Finally, Zhang Liuxin placed the ring on him. Wen Jin looked at it and actually understood those cheesy, old-fashioned sayings—how putting on a ring secured the person. Because he truly felt this was a trap called eternity.
Finally, amid thunderous applause, he kissed Liuxin’s forehead. Being fond of quiet, he had attended very few weddings. The most memorable was the video recording of his parents’ wedding, though thinking back now, his parents were likely unfamiliar with each other at the time.
After the ceremony, he and Zhang Liuxin greeted many of the attending guests. He didn’t like such occasions, but hearing people offer vulgar blessings like “May you be a harmonious couple” and “May you grow old together” felt tolerable.
After a while, Zhang Liuxin left for the restroom, allowing Wen Jin to slip away and find Duan Chengzhi, He Qing, and Lü Zixia gathered together. The three of them looked at him with identical expressions. Wen Jin looked back coldly, and finally, Lü Zixia, enduring his gaze, spoke first. “Very affectionate, Mr. Groom.”
Wen Jin took a sip of champagne and didn’t speak, his relaxed expression evident—he rarely drank alcohol voluntarily.
Duan Chengzhi clicked his tongue twice. “A-Zhuo, I was almost crying with my aunt down there. I never thought I’d live to hear you say such tender words.”
One was more exaggerated than the next. Finally, Wen Jin looked at He Qing, who seemed lost in thought, staring at a certain spot. After a moment, He Qing snapped back, smiling. “That scene was truly beautiful. I’ll send you the pictures once they’re processed. Where’s Liuxin? Did you hide him again?”
“Too many people. He went out for some air.”
Wen Jin set down his champagne. Seeing that some time had passed, he scanned the area but didn’t see Zhang Liuxin anywhere, so he asked Zhong Sixun to look for him.
Lü Zixia clinked glasses with Duan Chengzhi, finished the remaining champagne, and shook his head helplessly. “Wen Jin, do you have separation anxiety? Can Brother Duan take your cousin to see someone?”
Duan Chengzhi joked, “Sure, but I only know military doctors.”
“Stop messing around.” Wen Jin didn’t think there was anything wrong with him. This was what a husband should do. Besides, Liuxin had tearfully told him he loved him, so of course, he had to keep an eye on him constantly.
A moment later, he saw a familiar elder from the in-laws’ side. He and Duan Chengzhi were forced to go up and greet him. It was a while before he saw Zhang Liuxin return.
After this busy period, Zhong Sixun found a moment to tell him that she saw Mr. Zhang playing with a cat in the garden that afternoon. It was just a routine report on Zhang Liuxin’s activities, but Wen Jin was intrigued. “A cat?”
“Yes, a white one. It was quite cute,” Zhong Sixun knew Wen Jin disliked any furry animals, so she added, “But we’ve already disinfected Mr. Zhang. He’s currently chatting with Mr. He in the lounge.”
Unexpectedly, Wen Jin stood up and walked toward the garden, asking her, “Does Zhang Liuxin like it very much?”
“Yes, he seemed to like it a lot. He even found some food to feed it.”
Wen Jin nodded. He eventually found the kitten on the largest camellia tree in the garden. The kitten was startled by Wen Jin, fell off the tea tree, and landed dusty, clumsy, and dirty.
Wen Jin took a step back in disgust. Then the cat looked up at him, causing him to pause slightly…
Why did this cat look so much like Zhang Liuxin, especially the eyes? Was it a Bornlin cat too? He must be overworked. Wen Jin rubbed his brow.
“Meow…” The kitten watched them, especially Wen Jin, who was the most terrifying to the cat.
After a moment, Wen Jin stepped back another half-step and said to Zhong Sixun, “Whose cat is this?”
“It should be a stray on the island.”
“Clean it up and take it back to Wenfeitai.” Wen Jin withdrew his gaze.
Zhong Sixun was shocked. She didn’t understand why Wen Jin had changed his mind after getting married and wanted to bring a cat home.
In truth, Wen Jin simply felt that Zhang Liuxin’s eyes were sometimes too melancholic, like a fog that wouldn’t lift. When they returned to Wenfeitai, he couldn’t possibly talk to the fish he kept. As for this cat with the same eye color as him, if it was brought back, so be it. The house needed something that could make Liuxin happy.
Of course, Wen Jin quickly regretted it, because the cat peed on the sofa and monopolized more of Zhang Liuxin’s attention than he had anticipated.
The flashback ends here.
P.S. Starting in October, updates will be every two days. Thank you all for your support, and I wish everyone a happy holiday season in advance!