The Remaining Warmth Of Fog Harbor Chapter 26
byBookmarks to keep in mind
On the third day after returning from sketching at the pier at the weekend, Shen Zhiyi was nestled on the lazy sofa in the balcony studio, flipping through the couple’s book filled with photos and drawings, running his fingertips across the rough watercolor paper, and a tender thought suddenly came to his mind.She dug out the remaining fine-grained cardboard and used scissors to cut it into a palm-sized rectangle. The edges were polished smooth and rounded. She picked up a fine-tipped watercolor pen and began to draw her own hand-painted bookmark.
The card was not big, but she filled it up to the fullest.The front is a classic element of the “Evening Thoughts” series. The mist of the foggy harbor wraps around the simple outline of a fishing boat. In the center are two little people nestling in each other’s arms, with a small heart on their heads. The word “Evening Thoughts” is written in gold-pink ink on the corner. Each stroke contains tenderness and affection.On the back, there are small words written by her herself. The handwriting is clear and soft: “Evening is coming, the fog is scattered and the light is shining. We will be together in this life, and we will have no worries every year.” At the end, there is a small double seal pattern, which is a mark unique to the two of them.
She drew two in total, one with a gentle misty blue background, smeared with the water vapor on the river, and one with a warm off-white, outlining the outline of the morning light. One was for Lu Wanheng, and the other was left for herself, becoming a personal keepsake that spans the day and night.After the painting was completed, she sprayed it carefully with matte sealing spray. After the paint was dry, she tied it with light gray and creamy white cotton and linen tassels. She shook it gently and the tassels dropped down, gently and delicately.
When Lu Wanheng walked into the balcony carrying freshly squeezed mango juice, he happened to see Shen Zhiyi holding a bookmark and looking at the light with curved eyebrows. The sunlight fell on the top of her hair, intertwined with the shimmer of gold powder and ink, and it was as beautiful as a vivid painting.”What are you doing? So focused.” Lu Wanheng put the glass on the painting table, gently hugged her waist from behind, rested his chin on her shoulder, his eyes fell on the two hand-painted bookmarks, and gentle ripples instantly appeared in his eyes.
“A couple’s bookmark made for us.” Shen Zhiyi turned around and handed the one with a foggy blue background to her hand, her eyes full of anticipation, “This one is for you, carry it with you. Take it out and look at it when you miss me. This is custom-made for me, the only one in the world.”
Lu Wanheng took the bookmark carefully, and gently touched the delicate paper with his fingertips, feeling the texture of the watercolor and the warmth of the writing. The paper in his palm was very light, but it seemed to carry a huge amount of love, which fell heavily into his heart.The little figures, the mist, and the handwriting on the bookmark are all written from Shen Zhiyi’s heart. They are ten thousand times more precious than any luxury goods or works of art she has collected.
“I will keep it well and never leave it.” Lu Wanheng lowered her head and pressed a soft kiss on the corner of Shen Zhiyi’s lips. She took the bookmark with a solemn gesture as if she was accepting the highest honor. She rummaged through her body and finally opened the mezzanine of the long leather wallet – this mezzanine never held bank cards or cash, leaving only a clean space. Now, it just happened to accommodate this small hand-painted bookmark.
The wallet is a low-key customized model that has accompanied her through countless negotiations and meetings in investment banks, carrying the decisiveness of the workplace. At this moment, a gentle hand-painted bookmark is hidden in the mezzanine, perfectly blending pyrotechnic love and elite edge.Lu Wanheng laid the bookmark flatly in the center of the mezzanine, adjusted the position repeatedly to ensure that it would not be bent or worn, then gently closed the mezzanine, put the wallet back into the inner pocket of his suit, close to his heart, as if this way, he could always feel Shen Zhiyi’s warmth.
From that day on, this hand-painted bookmark became a treasure that Lu Wanheng carried with him and never left it.
When driving to the investment bank building in the early morning, while waiting for the red light, she would take out her wallet, gently open the mezzanine, and look at the little figures and handwriting on the bookmark. The coldness in her eyes faded away and turned into tenderness in the room. The busyness and pressure of the day were quietly soothed by the love in this small space.When he opened his wallet to check out during breakfast, the clerk caught a glimpse of the hand-painted pattern on the mezzanine and couldn’t help but praise the exquisite pattern. Lu Wanheng just nodded lightly, but an imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, with unique pride and tenderness.
At the high-level meeting of the investment bank, the atmosphere was solemn, the game of tens of billions of projects was tense, directors were at loggerheads, and data and plans were circulating on the table.Lu Wanheng sat at the head of the chair, with a cold expression and sharp words, controlling the rhythm of the whole room. When he raised his hand to rub his eyebrows, his fingertips touched the wallet in the inner pocket, and he thought of the bookmark in the mezzanine. His heart softened, and his tense nerves instantly relaxed. When he spoke again, he was still calm and determined, but there was an unknown gentleness hidden in his heart.
During the intermission of the meeting, colleagues came over to chat and joked that Mr. Lu was now more smoky and no longer the cold work machine he once was.Lu Wanheng smiled and took out his wallet, trying to take out the mints. A corner of the bookmark in the sandwich was accidentally exposed. The matte blue background and gold-pink handwriting were particularly eye-catching.When her colleague asked curiously, she immediately closed her wallet and carefully put it back into the inner pocket, with a rare protective tone in her voice: “It’s a personal keepsake, so it’s inconvenient to show it.”
The investment banking elite, who has always been magnanimous, cherishes this bookmark extremely deeply and keeps it private. No one is allowed to touch it or pry into it. This is the exclusive tenderness that belongs to her and Shen Zhiyi. It can only be hidden deep in the heart, hidden in the middle of the wallet, hidden in a small space that no one knows.
When they went out for a business negotiation, the other party handed over a business card and contract. Lu Wanheng reached out to take it, but his wallet accidentally slipped and fell on the smooth marble floor.Her heart tightened, and she immediately bent down to pick it up. She opened the mezzanine immediately and made sure that the bookmark was intact, not bent or worn, and then she breathed a sigh of relief. The panic in her eyes was seen by the other party, and she couldn’t help but joke: “What treasure is hidden in Mr. Lu’s wallet, why are you so nervous?”
“It’s a token made by my lover, and I regard it as my life.” Lu Wanheng didn’t shy away from anything. She spoke calmly and with full pride in her tone. In front of her partners in the capital circle, she generously admitted this love and admitted that this little bookmark was her most cherished treasure.
After the negotiation, she drove back. She parked the car by the river, took out her wallet, and quietly looked at the bookmarks in the mezzanine.The mist on the river overlapped with the pattern on the bookmark, and the image of Shen Zhiyi painting came to mind. The nights spent staying up late, the warm breakfast in the morning, the laughter at the dock sketching, and the thoughts in the couple’s books flashed by one by one, and the tenderness in my heart surged into a tide.She gently rubbed the surface of the bookmark, and her fingertips repeatedly crossed the word “Wan Yi”, as if she could feel the warmth of Shen Zhiyi’s writing.
Traveling on a rainy day, the car windows were filled with condensation. Lu Wanheng held the steering wheel and opened his wallet again when the light was red. The bookmarks glowed softly in the warm light.She thought of the time when she was trapped in the carriage on a rainy night, of Shen Zhiyi’s tearful grievances, of the day and night together now, and she was glad that the fog had dispersed, she was by her side, and she was glad that this bookmark carried all the perfection and love.
Back in the apartment, Shen Zhiyi was sitting on the sofa in the living room revising the drawings of the “Late Night” series. Lu Wanheng changed his shoes and walked to her side immediately, took out the bookmark from his wallet, and gently placed it on her palm: “Look, I’ve been carrying it with me all day, it’s intact, there’s no wear at all.”
Shen Zhiyi looked at the clean and flat paper on the bookmark, and saw the treasure in Lu Wanheng’s eyes. Her heart warmed, and she hugged her neck and rubbed it: “I’m just drawing for fun, you don’t have to be so careful.”
“Everything you give me here is not a plaything, but a treasure.” Lu Wanheng leaned over to kiss her with a solemn and pious tone. “This bookmark was drawn by you yourself. It hides your heart and our story. It is more precious than any assets or collections in my name. I will protect it for the rest of my life, just like I will protect you for the rest of my life.”
Late at night, after Lu Wanheng finished his work, he lay on the bed, took out his wallet, took out the bookmark, and placed it next to the bedside lamp, next to Shen Zhiyi’s one. The mist blue and off-white contrasted, with the tassels hanging gently.Shen Zhiyi leaned on her shoulder, looked at the two bookmarks, and said with a smile: “From now on, I will draw new ones for you every month and fill up the wallet compartment.”
“No, this one is enough.” Lu Wanheng put the bookmark back into the mezzanine and closed it tightly. “I will always carry this bookmark from early morning to late night, from work to life, from Fog Harbor to the distance, until we are gray-haired. I will also show it to my children and grandchildren and tell them that this was drawn by your grandma for me. It is the most cherished treasure in my life.”
Shen Zhiyi’s eyes were slightly red, and he buried his head in her arms, listening to her steady heartbeat, feeling the wallet close to his heart, and knowing that the little bookmark was lying safely in the mezzanine, carrying the love between the two of them, accompanying them every day and night.
The next morning, after Lu Wanheng washed up and put on his suit, the first thing he did was to put his wallet in the inner pocket and make sure the bookmarks were safe. Then he walked to the balcony and gave Shen Zhiyi, who was painting, a good morning kiss.”I’m going to work and I’ll bring you strawberry cake tonight.”
“Okay, be careful on the road and remember to keep an eye on your precious bookmark.” Shen Zhiyi smiled and waved, his eyes full of tenderness.
Driving on the streets of Wugang, with mist lingering around the car, Lu Wanheng occasionally opened his wallet and looked at the bookmarks in the mezzanine, with a faint smile hanging on his lips.The killings of investment banks, the game of capital, and the pressure of the workplace are all insignificant in the face of this tenderness.This small hand-painted bookmark is her weakness, but also her armor. It is her warmest comfort and firmest confidence in the cold world of capital.
When sorting things out over the weekend, Shen Zhiyi discovered that Lu Wanheng’s drawer contained a specially customized dust-proof storage bag for storing bookmarks, as well as soft cloth and care spray, which were so meticulous that it was touching.She laughed and teased Lu Wanheng for being too careful, but Lu Wanheng said seriously: “Your heart deserves my most meticulous protection, just like I give you everything I have to protect you.”
As the days passed, the “Late Night” series of drawings became thicker and thicker, and the couple’s book gradually filled up the second volume. The hand-painted bookmark was still lying safely in the interlayer of Lu Wanheng’s wallet, without a trace of bending or wear, the color was still bright, and the handwriting was still clear.It accompanies Lu Wanheng to the opening ceremony of the exhibition, accompanies her to completely reconcile with her family, accompanies her to walk through every street in Wugang, and accompanies her to witness all the sweetness and perfection between the two of them.
On the opening night of the exhibition, Lu Wanheng held Shen Zhiyi’s hand and stood in front of the main exhibit of the “Evening Thoughts” series. Facing the media’s cameras and guests from all walks of life, Lu Wanheng openly disclosed their relationship.The flash came on, and Lu Wanheng raised his hand and gently stroked the wallet in the inner pocket, feeling the warmth of the bookmark in the interlayer, his eyes full of tenderness and determination.She knows that this little bookmark hides the purest love, witnesses the perfection that comes from the mist and the light, and will accompany them through every spring and autumn for the rest of their lives.
Returning to the apartment late at night, the two of them cuddled on the balcony. Lu Wanheng took out the bookmark, put it together with Shen Zhiyi’s, and swayed gently in the evening breeze.The lights on the river are bright, the lights in the studio are gentle, and the mist and little figures on the bookmarks shimmer in the night.
“No matter where I go from now on, I will take it with me.”
“Well, I will also take mine with me. Our hearts will always be together.”
Lu Wanheng carefully put the bookmark back into the wallet compartment, put the wallet close to his heart, and hugged the person in his arms tightly.This palm-sized hand-painted bookmark has no expensive material or exquisite craftsmanship, but it carries Shen Zhiyi’s full love and the story of the two of them in Wuhan. It has become a token that Lu Wanheng carries with him and regards it as a treasure. It is hidden in the middle of his wallet and deep in his heart. Year after year, it will never leave him. His love is endless and will never fade.
The wind in Fog Harbor blew gently, blowing over the “Late Night” painting on the easel, the couple’s book on the bedside, and the hand-painted bookmarks on the inside of the wallet, blending all the tenderness and love into the daily life together day and night, and writing it into the long story of the rest of my life.
Banxia novel, a lot of fun