Still Frame Chapter 80

Chapter 80 Confrontation

Zhang Liuxin left the room again. He happened to run into a cleaner in the hallway and asked if they had seen a man with black hair.

“The tall one? I think he went to the tearoom with another guest in black clothes.”

“The tearoom? There’s a tearoom here?”

“It’s right by the stairs on the second floor. Just pull open the wooden door next to it. Our boss likes tea, and sometimes guests who want to discuss things go there to sit.”

He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts while coming upstairs that he hadn’t noticed the door by the second-floor landing. He nodded and walked toward it.

Pulling open the wooden door, he saw that the tearoom was divided by several screens. Since this was the best guesthouse in town, some distinguished guests from other states stayed here. Besides Bourne Forest language, Zhang Liuxin heard several other languages.

Among them was the low-pitched Silver State dialect, a voice that quickly reminded him of his husband.

Zhang Liuxin casually picked up a glass of plain water and followed the sound to a screen.

It was Wen Jin and Duan Chengzhi. The two were talking, their voices kept very low.

Zhang Liuxin hadn’t intended to eavesdrop. He set the water glass aside and was about to stand up to greet Wen Jin when he heard Duan Chengzhi’s voice from behind the screen, asking Wen Jin, “When are you planning to tell him? After we return to Silver State?”

A gut feeling told Zhang Liuxin that “him” referred to himself.

“After we go back,” Wen Jin said, still speaking slowly and methodically, with a cold detachment, as if discussing something truly inconsequential.

“You almost crashed,” Duan Chengzhi’s voice sounded somewhat annoyed. “If I had known that person would really betray us and was so unreliable, I should have gone myself in the first place.”

Zhang Liuxin’s face paled. He seemed to finally understand what the two men were discussing.

“You go? The news wouldn’t be as simple as it is now.”

Duan Chengzhi said, “In any case, it’s a blessing in disguise now. I feel like you two are having a very comfortable life. Judging by the reactions of others just now, are you still pretending to be mute? Wen Jin, you don’t need to pretend to be mute, you are mute.”

“Boring,” Wen Jin’s voice held a hint of inexplicable amusement. “It’s fortunate that we’re here. He grew up in Bourne Forest. This place is good, he likes it very much.”

“Alright, alright, don’t show me that sweet and happy expression, I find it very uncomfortable,” Duan Chengzhi exhaled a breath of stale air. “This matter is finally settled. Second Uncle has no chance of recovery. Your relationship with Zhang Liuxin is heating up. Only I have to go back and catch people again.”

“Can’t you do something lawful? Don’t push people too hard, it will backfire.”

“Are you teaching me how to date now? First, manage your own marriage well. Don’t let Liuxin ask for a divorce again when you go back this time. You won’t be so lucky next time.”

The moment that earth-shattering sentence landed, Zhang Liuxin froze completely. A sudden buzzing sound erupted in his mind. The glass cup in his hand seemed to lose gravity and smashed onto the floor with a crash. Shards and water splashed everywhere.

Zhang Liuxin didn’t recover for a long time, just staring blankly at the glittering fragments until Wen Jin stood beside him, looking down at him from above. However, his expression was finally no longer as calm as usual. He quickly crouched down in front of him and asked if he had been cut by the shards.

In a single day, this scene was repeating itself. Twice, Wen Jin had taken his hand, and the same concern was visible in his deep eyes. But Zhang Liuxin found it difficult to smile at him as he had in the morning. The atmosphere stiffened for a moment, and he pulled his hand back.

Duan Chengzhi saw them frozen in that position, raised an eyebrow, and patted Wen Jin’s shoulder. “If you have something to discuss, go back to your room.”

A sudden, unreasonable resentment welled up in Zhang Liuxin’s heart. Why did Duan Chengzhi know to tell them to go back to the room now? When he and Wen Jin were talking about these things, couldn’t they have talked in the room? That way, he wouldn’t have accidentally overheard them discussing this…

Wen Jin didn’t stand up. Zhang Liuxin was grateful that he hadn’t stood up, hadn’t shown that arrogant, condescending look. After an unknown amount of time—by which point the people around them had noticed the commotion and were looking over, and a waiter arrived with cleaning tools to tidy the floor—Zhang Liuxin slowly stood up, withdrew his hand, and said with his head lowered, “Let’s go back to the room.”

“Okay.”

They walked in silence, one behind the other. From the tearoom to the room, Zhang Liuxin stared blankly at the thick carpet, as if his heart, his mind, and all his rationality had shattered into pieces along with the water glass.

The room was quiet. Wen Jin glanced at the suitcase, which showed signs of having been rummaged through, and asked him, “Are you cold?”

Zhang Liuxin subconsciously lowered his eyes and saw the sleeve of the shirt, which he had rolled up because it was too long. Wearing this shirt, he felt enveloped by Wen Jin’s scent. Although he hadn’t smelled that cold fragrance for a long time, it still gave him a sense of security.

“A little.”

They sat by the window, their knees only a few centimeters apart, but they didn’t look at each other. They just sat quietly, watching the branches and fallen leaves being whipped up by the wind outside.

“Is there anything you want to tell me?”

Zhang Liuxin spoke awkwardly. He felt like it had been a long time since he had used this tone with Wen Jin—cautious, mixed with probing and vigilance. Yet, they had slept in each other’s arms last night, and Wen Jin had given him a gentle good-morning kiss this morning.

“Where do you want me to start?” Wen Jin’s expression was unperturbed. Zhang Liuxin realized that he didn’t show even a trace of panic, as if being overheard talking to Duan Chengzhi was nothing significant.

Zhang Liuxin looked away, unable to stop his eyes from heating up. He blinked rapidly, his trembling eyelashes struggling like the wings of a butterfly soaked in rain.

“So you knew about this accident, didn’t you? You also know that Silver State is now reporting that we were kidnapped by your Second Uncle,” Zhang Liuxin shook his head. “Why did this happen? We were almost back. Why was this suddenly exposed? Wen Jin, what exactly is your family trying to do?”

“Yes, I knew about this accident. The news currently in Silver State was spread by my father to completely overthrow the ambitious Second Uncle.”

“The accident was initially planned by Second Uncle, but my father found out about the plan beforehand and decided to use it against him. The original plan was to land on an island where supplies were prepared. We only needed to stay there for about a week. Once the evidence was set up in Silver State and Second Uncle made his move, we could release the news of our disappearance, direct public opinion toward him, and simultaneously uproot others who were threats to the Wen family and causing trouble.”

“However, we didn’t expect that Second Uncle had indeed left someone on the flight crew, which sabotaged the plan and caused the plane to make an emergency landing in Bourne Forest. After you fell asleep, I was also knocked unconscious. The next time I opened my eyes was when you woke me up. Everyone else on the plane had already parachuted out according to the original plan, but I don’t know who tied us up and then started the fire.”

Hearing these words from Wen Jin made Zhang Liuxin feel deeply absurd. He didn’t even know where to begin asking questions. After a long while, he picked out what was perhaps the most insignificant, yet perhaps the most important, sentence.

He looked silently at Wen Jin with a deep, despairing gaze, which reminded Wen Jin of the clouds during their first meeting and their formal reunion. The green eyes were full of dimness, causing an unprovoked panic in him. He subconsciously moved his fingers, wanting to reach out and touch him.

Then, he heard Zhang Liuxin softly say, “Wen Jin, didn’t you ever think we might die there? What if there was any slip-up, and we died?”

Wen Jin opened his mouth, but in the end, nothing came out. Of course, he had thought about it. On the first night they slept in the Tu’ier cabin, he looked at Zhang Liuxin’s sleeping face and felt a sudden panic. It was only the next day that he realized it was fear of what might have happened.

“I’m sorry, Liuxin,” Wen Jin lowered his head. “I shouldn’t have kept it from you.”

“Why hide it from me? Wen Jin, is it because you don’t trust me? Right, this is a major affair for your Wen family.”

Zhang Liuxin closed his eyes tiredly, thinking how timely this storm outside was.

“No, Liuxin, no,” Wen Jin’s tone suddenly became urgent. “It was because I didn’t want you to feel distressed too, and I know you don’t like these kinds of things.”

Zhang Liuxin shook his head, still looking at him with incomprehension. “You didn’t want me to be distressed, so why did you still… let me come with you? Why did I have to act this way and that way with you in Silver State? Since when was something involving life and death my responsibility? It wasn’t written in the agreement.”

He practically shouted the last sentence, but the moment it left his lips, he regretted it, because he clearly saw Wen Jin’s pupils tremble violently, like a piece of black ice suddenly shattered, and a heavy emotion spilled out.

“Liuxin, what do you mean?” Wen Jin’s eyes narrowed, and a cold chill descended, making Zhang Liuxin feel a momentary fear. He instinctively shrank back until he leaned against the chair back.

“I mean exactly what I said,” Zhang Liuxin gritted his teeth. It took a moment for him to control his trembling hands before he slowly said, “I don’t recall the agreement requiring me to cooperate with your family’s internal struggles, nor do I recall having to be a pawn that might lose its life…”

“Zhang Liuxin!”

This was the first time Wen Jin had spoken to him so harshly. Zhang Liuxin flinched at the shout, his eyes instantly becoming wet. He felt so immature. Had he become so fragile because the past few days with Wen Jin had been too good?

“I apologize,” Wen Jin sighed deeply and spoke to him again, looking into his eyes. “So you think that everything that happened since we arrived here was also part of the agreement?”

Zhang Liuxin avoided his direct gaze. Just as he turned his head slightly, Wen Jin gripped his chin and turned it back. Wen Jin’s hand was surprisingly cold, clamping him like a pair of pliers, causing him a slight pain. He was forced to meet Wen Jin’s black eyes, which were burning with anger, sadness, and disappointment.

“Answer me.”

“Let go!”

Wen Jin was always like this. Zhang Liuxin forcefully grabbed his hand and pushed it away. Two red marks immediately appeared on his cheek. Wen Jin stared at them for a moment, his eyes trembling. He immediately withdrew his hand and offered his third “I apologize” in this short time.

“Wen Jin, I don’t know. How am I supposed to know what you’re thinking?” Zhang Liuxin looked at him with a defeated, disappointed expression.