The Remaining Warmth Of Fog Harbor Chapter 30
byStanding proudly against the frost
The phone vibrated in my pocket, and text messages from the bank system popped up one after another. The cold words were so painful that my eyes hurt: the account ××× under your name has been frozen, the payment stop has taken effect, the registration of real estate property rights restrictions has been completed, and the joint credit card limit has been cleared.Seven or eight accounts, three core properties, and all associated secondary cards were frozen by the family in the name of “asset preservation” within half an hour, leaving only one private savings card with a balance that could support the basic expenses of two people for half a month.
News from the investment bank’s internal group also exploded. The minutes of the temporary board meeting were all over the screen, and a red-headed document suspending Lu Wanheng’s position as CEO was forwarded. Attached was an internal notice issued by her father, which was harshly worded and characterized her “deviant behavior” as damaging to the family’s reputation.Inquiries from partners, concerns from subordinates, and tests from the media came flooding in. She directly pressed and held down the phone to turn off the phone, and turned the screen black to isolate all the wind and rain on the other end of the phone.
She couldn’t panic, let alone collapse.
Because in the apartment, Shen Zhiyi is still concentrating on polishing the final painting of the “Late Night” series in the balcony studio. She is still looking forward to the opening of the exhibition at the end of the month. She is still filled with tiny lights because of the sense of security that has been filled with love recently.Lu Wanheng raised his hand and pressed his swollen temples, started the car, and parked on the side of the road before driving into the city. He used a wet wipe to wipe away the red marks on his cheeks from the photos. He repeatedly adjusted his expression in the rearview mirror until a natural and gentle smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and then stepped on the accelerator again.
When she opened the door, the cold air on her body had been dispelled by the warm wind, and her face was as calm and gentle as ever. The warm yellow light of the entrance light fell on her body, losing the coldness and hardness of the investment bank elite, leaving only the relaxation of home.”I’m back. Which picture did you draw today?”
Shen Zhiyi ran out of the balcony with a palette in her arms. There was still a little titanium white paint on the top of her hair, like a small piece of snow falling. She threw herself into her arms with curved eyebrows: “The details of “Double Shadow” are about to be finished. I left you some Tremella soup, which is warm in the stew pot.”
The soft and warm body pressed against her, and the familiar scent of turpentine and citrus enveloped her with warmth. The ice-hard frost and snow in Lu Wanheng’s heart instantly melted away.She stretched out her hand to catch the person steadily, and her fingertips habitually brushed away the paint on the top of her hair. Her tone was as relaxed as if she had just ended an ordinary business negotiation: “My dear little painter, I will wash my hands first and have a taste of your craftsmanship.”
She deliberately avoided Shen Zhiyi’s sight, walked quickly into the kitchen, turned her back and turned on the faucet.Cold water washed over her wrists, and she managed to suppress the surging emotions. The sweet aroma of the Tremella soup in the pot filled the air. She took out a bowl and took a sip, swallowing all the pressure and embarrassment into the sweet and glutinous soup.
Shen Zhiyi was sitting opposite, looking at her with his chin in his hands, and suddenly tilted his head and asked, “You came back a little later than usual today. Are you tired from the meeting? I see your eyes are a little red.”
Lu Wanheng’s hand holding the spoon paused imperceptibly. He immediately raised his eyes and smiled, and lightly scratched the tip of her nose with his fingertips: “The senior management will be arguing for too long, which is a bit frustrating, but it has been resolved and it will not be in the way. Don’t worry, just concentrate on your paintings. I have arranged the venue, publicity, and layout of the exhibition, and I guarantee to hold a beautiful opening ceremony for you.”
She talked about it lightly, hiding all the undercurrents under her calm tone.In fact, the exhibition partner had just sent a tactful extension inquiry, implying that they were under pressure from the Lu family and did not dare to continue the cooperation; the exhibition team’s deposit was stuck in a frozen account and could not be paid; the originally scheduled art circle guests also began to decline one after another, and everything was slipping out of control.But she wouldn’t tell Shen Zhiyi a word of this.
Shen Zhiyi had just emerged from the lack of love in her original family, had just gained enough security, and was full of expectations for the future. Lu Wanheng couldn’t bear to let her be shrouded in the family’s cloud, couldn’t bear to make her anxious about money, and couldn’t bear to let her hand holding the paintbrush be stained with even half of the worldly hostility and embarrassment.She can bear all the hardships by herself.
At night, after Shen Zhiyi fell asleep and his even breathing spread on the crook of his neck, Lu Wanheng carefully took out the arm that was pillowed under his head, walked quietly to the living room, and turned on his mobile phone.There were hundreds of missed calls and thousands of messages. The message from my aunt Lu Qinghe was at the top of the list: Your dad went too far by freezing his assets. I transferred an emergency fund to your personal card and kept it.I’ll coordinate the art exhibition, don’t take it too hard.
Her fingertips trembled slightly, and she replied “Thank you, aunt, I can handle it, don’t let Zhizhi know”, then clicked on the bank APP, stared at the remaining five-digit balance, and quickly sorted out the expenses: rent, water and electricity, purchase of painting materials, staff salary, emergency fund for art exhibitions, every transaction must be calculated carefully, and the consumption habit of signing orders casually in the past must be completely restrained.
She began to quietly adjust the details of her life and keep her daily consumption to a minimum.Instead of ordering imported organic ingredients, he took Shen Zhiyi to the fresh market downstairs to pick fresh fruits and vegetables. With the excuse of “wanting to experience the fireworks,” he turned down all high-end restaurant appointments and studied home-cooked food at home. The limited-edition painting materials he had purchased casually in the past were replaced with more cost-effective ones, but he still kept several top-quality paintbrushes that Shen Zhiyi often used separately to prevent her from noticing anything strange.
Shen Zhiyi said that he wanted to buy a set of easel storage cabinets. Lu Wanheng smiled and agreed. He turned to the second-hand furniture market and picked a 90% new model. He drove it back and assembled and polished it overnight. He painted it in the foggy blue that Shen Zhiyi liked. It looked like brand new.Shen Zhiyi hugged her waist and praised “Mr. Lu’s hands are so skillful.” She smiled and lowered her head to kiss her, hiding the red marks on her palms caused by the wooden board.
Her credit card was frozen, so she paid all her expenses in cash. Every time she went out, she took cash in advance and put it in the middle of her wallet, next to the bookmark hand-painted by Shen Zhiyi.That little bookmark became her confidence to survive all the difficult moments. Every time she opened her wallet and touched the texture of the jammed paper, and thought of the figure writing in the studio, all her grievances and fatigue could be healed.
She went through the resignation procedures at the investment bank alone, and signed the handover documents neatly. Her former subordinates walked her to the elevator with red eyes. She still maintained her dignity and calmness, explaining the details of the work without showing any sign of desolation.The moment she left the investment bank building, she stood in the sunshine and took a deep breath. What she lost was the halo given by the Lu family, but what she kept was her lover and original intention.She hid all this from Shen Zhiyi and only said, “The recent project has been completed, and I can work flexibly. I can spend more time with you.”
On the most stressful night, the organizer of the art exhibition officially sent a letter of termination, requiring liquidated damages, but the account balance was not even enough to pay a fraction of the compensation.Lu Wanheng sat on the sofa in the living room, stayed up all night, and smoked a whole pack of menthol cigarettes. He contacted his aunt at dawn, gritted his teeth, borrowed an emergency sum, advanced the liquidated damages, and at the same time finalized a niche art space to host the exhibition, reducing the scale but arranging the works more exquisitely.
Shen Zhiyi woke up in the morning, snuggled in her arms, smelled the faint smell of cigarette smoke, and asked doubtfully: “Is there a smell of cigarette smoke at home?”
Lu Wanheng immediately opened the window for ventilation, rubbed her hair and laughed: “I smoked two last night when I was talking to a client. I won’t smoke anymore. Don’t find it unpleasant.”
She hid all her embarrassment, embarrassment, and anxiety in a place where Shen Zhiyi could not see her, and only showed her most stable, gentle, and omnipotent side in front of her lover.When she was sketching with Shen Zhiyi, she was still the patient and exclusive model, passing water, mixing paint, and wiping the brush with skillful and gentle movements; late at night, when Shen Zhiyi stayed up late to paint, she still stayed on the lazy sofa, warmed the hot milk, and accompanied her to finish the work without rushing; when Shen Zhiyi shared the inspiration for the painting, she still listened carefully and made precise suggestions, and the appreciation and love in her eyes remained undiminished.
Shen Zhiyi was not unaware, but Lu Wanheng concealed it too perfectly. She just thought it was because she was busy with work recently, so she responded with extra tenderness.He will hand her a hot towel when she comes home, quietly put a blanket on her when she stays up late, put the small illustrations he has drawn into her purse, hold her in her arms before going to bed, and whisper “I am really happy to have you here.”
Every word of “happiness” is like a thin needle, gently pricking Lu Wanheng’s heart, which is both sweet and painful.What’s sweet is that my concealment and protection have meaning, but what’s painful is that I can’t give her peace of mind without any worries, and let her live a life of tight clothing and food with him without knowing it.
The two of them went to the pier to sketch on the weekend. Shen Zhiyi wanted to buy a limited edition watercolor pen. When he got it to the counter, he put it down, shook his head and said, “Actually, what I have is enough.”Lu Wanheng saw it and felt sad. He immediately took it over to pay. When swiping the card, he used his aunt’s emergency savings card. His fingertips were trembling slightly, but he said with a smile, “Buy if you like it. You can’t make do with the guy who paints.”
Shen Zhiyi held the paintbrush and happily pressed a kiss on her cheek. Lu Wanheng hugged her back, looked at the river in Wugang, and swore in his heart: Even if I have nothing, I will protect the light in her brushwork, protect the smile in her eyes, and protect her from having to suffer any further grievances.
The pressure from the family did not stop. Test calls from relatives, whispers from neighbors, and rumors from the art circle enveloped her like an invisible net.Lu Wanheng blocked them one by one, blocked all clan numbers, and faced the rumors openly and calmly, saying “I’m doing well, thank you for your concern,” blocking all prying eyes and preaching.She never mentioned breaking up, freezing assets, or resigning. In front of Shen Zhiyi, she was always the Lu Wanheng who could hold up a whole world.
Three days before the exhibition opened, when Shen Zhiyi was sorting out his painting supplies, he accidentally turned over Lu Wanheng’s resignation certificate that had been left in a drawer, as well as several bank receipts for frozen assets.The black and white document was like a thunder, shattering all the peace.Holding the document, her fingertips were cold, and she finally understood what kind of storm was hidden behind Lu Wanheng’s recent late return, the redness in his eyes, his change in clothing and food, and the silence that he hesitated to speak.
It turns out that she was well-protected because someone bore all the hardships alone; it turns out that the stability and tenderness in her writings were obtained by someone at the cost of breaking away from the family and losing everything; it turns out that the painting exhibition she cherished so much was barely saved by Lu Wanheng, who gritted his teeth, borrowed money, and negotiated in a low voice.
Shen Zhiyi hugged the document and squatted in the corner of the studio, crying silently. The aroma of turpentine mixed with her sobs, and her shoulders couldn’t help shaking.
Lu Wanheng went home after buying the exhibition materials. He didn’t hear the laughter from the past. He walked into the balcony and saw this scene. His heart sank. All the concealment and disguise were completely broken at this moment.She threw away the materials in her hands, squatted down quickly, and hugged him tightly, her voice full of panic and distress: “Zhiyi, listen to my explanation, I didn’t mean to hide it from you, I just…”
“You just don’t want me to worry, you just want to bear everything by yourself, you just don’t want me to be wronged again, right?” Shen Zhiyi raised his head and looked at her with tears in his eyes. He raised his hand to touch the black and blue under her eyes, and his fingertips touched the thin calluses of her palms. “Wanheng, you are so stupid. We are lovers and we are people who will walk together for a lifetime. We should bear the wind and rain together. Why do you have to hold on alone?”
Lu Wanheng’s Adam’s apple rolled, and thousands of words were blocked in his chest. In the end, they only turned into a hoarse “I’m sorry.”She was afraid that she would be anxious, afraid that she would be uneasy, afraid that the sense of security she had finally established would collapse, and afraid that she would put down her painting and worry about her livelihood, but she was discovered after all.
“I don’t want you to say sorry.” Shen Zhiyi hugged her neck, buried his face in her neck, and wet her collar with tears, “We can reduce the size of the exhibition, use affordable painting materials, change to a smaller house, and accept manuscripts to make money together. Even if we have nothing, as long as we are together, there will be no obstacles that we can’t overcome. Don’t hide it from me anymore, don’t bear the storm alone, I want to be by your side, I don’t want to be just the person who is protected by your wings.”
The warm tears burned on his neck, softening all Lu Wanheng’s stubbornness and forbearance.She hugged Shen Zhiyi tightly and buried her face in her hair. After suppressing the fatigue and grievances for half a month, she finally had an outlet to vent.It turns out that the stability she desperately guarded has long since become the concern of her lover; it turns out that the hardships she has endured alone have long been seen by her lover and hurt in her heart.
“Okay, I won’t hide it from you anymore. We will carry it together.” Lu Wanheng’s voice was hoarse, but extremely firm. “We will organize the exhibition together, we will plan the expenses together, and we will face the pressure of the Lu family together.”
Shen Zhiyi nodded, took out his savings card from his wallet, and put it into her hand: “This is all my royalties. I will give it to you. Let’s tide over the difficulties together. The “Wateful Night” series can be pre-sold online, and I can accept more business. We don’t rely on the Lu family, we can still run the exhibition successfully, and we can still survive in Wugang.”
Lu Wanheng looked at the bank card in his palm and the determination and love in Shen Zhiyi’s eyes. He suddenly smiled, but there were tears in the corners of his eyes.She broke up with her family, lost her wealth and status, and froze her assets and aura, but gained the most precious companionship, unreserved trust and love.
That night, the two of them sat in the balcony studio and talked about all the pressures, difficulties, and plans, from exhibition installation to daily expenses, from family coping to future planning, without hiding anything or shouldering it alone.Shen Zhiyi took up the pen to revise the final work of “Late Night” and added a line of small words to the original “Double Shadow”: It is better to face the light side by side than to face the wind and frost alone. With hearts and hands together, all difficulties can be overcome.
Lu Wanheng sat next to her, helping to mix paints and apply labels. The hand-painted bookmarks on the inside of the wallet were exposed, and the foggy blue cardboard glowed softly under the warm light.She no longer needs to pretend that nothing is wrong, and no longer needs to hold on alone, because her lover has stood by her side and faced all the wind and rain with her.
Frozen assets can be earned back, lost positions can be re-established, family prejudices can be slowly resolved, and as long as two people hold hands together, there is no gap that cannot be crossed.Lu Wanheng once thought that protection means carrying everything alone, but now she understands that true love means being honest and shoulder to shoulder, sharing the same joys and hardships.
The night before the exhibition opened, the two of them worked together to decorate the exhibition hall, hang paintings, put up posters, and adjust the lighting. They were busy until late at night, but their smiles did not diminish.Lu Wanheng held Shen Zhiyi’s hand and stood in front of “Double Shadow”, looking at the figures side by side in the painting and the double seals in the corner, his eyes full of tenderness.
“I’m sorry for keeping this secret from you for so long.”
“It doesn’t matter, from now on we will carry it together and never separately.”
The mist in the foggy harbor outside the window has cleared, and the starlight covers the river. The warm light of the exhibition hall envelopes the two of them. The bookmarks in the wallet, the sandalwood bracelets on the wrists, and the “Evening Thoughts” series in the pen all bear witness: the wind and frost alone will eventually end, and the light will last forever if we stand side by side.Lu Wanheng’s concealment was an expression of affection, while Shen Zhiyi’s understanding was a more determined response. From now on, this break and confrontation with the family was no longer a one-man fight alone, but a two-person journey together.
Banxia novel, a lot of fun