One and Only

Chapter 15: The Eighteen-Bead Rosary (1)

The library held many stories.

She didn’t know how many people had passed through this place or how many hidden romances it had witnessed. But this was Jiangnan, while the building from her memories lay far in the northwest—long since returned to dust and earth.

Zhou Wenxing pulled out an old, elongated brass key from her pocket and unlocked the door.

Perhaps worried that Shi Yi might dislike dirt, she reassured her while pushing the door open that the place was cleaned daily by assigned staff and would be free of dust. “By the way, are you allergic to dust or flowers?”

Shi Yi shook her head.

“My eldest brother is allergic to dust and flowers,” Zhou Wenxing said with a soft laugh.

Shi Yi nodded. “Noted. The house must be spotless, and no plants or flowers allowed.”

Wen Xing chuckled. “His allergies aren’t too severe.” Suddenly lowering her voice conspiratorially, as if siding with Shi Yi, she added, “So if you ever argue with him, just make him smell flowers. He’ll break out in little red bumps—not many, but it’s quite amusing.”

Shi Yi couldn’t help but doubt whether this girl before her had studied medicine. Even she knew allergies weren’t something to take lightly. While most reactions weren’t severe, they could become terrifyingly dangerous.

The interior was indeed immaculate.

From the first floor to the third, Shi Yi moved as though admiring ancient artifacts, fascinated by every corner’s arrangement and the wooden carvings overhead. Wen Xing seemed to have no interest in classical literature and couldn’t offer much explanation, letting her wander freely to the top. Given its historical architecture, the building stood nearly ten zhang tall (about ten stories).

The eastern and southern sides of the third floor had suspended windows, with shelves holding an array of books—scrolls and bound volumes alike. Thankfully, there were no bamboo slips, or she might have truly questioned which era she was in.

Wen Xing received a call and hurried downstairs due to poor signal.

Standing by the shelves, Shi Yi casually picked up a book when she heard footsteps.

Soon, Zhou Shengchen appeared at the staircase landing. His hand rested on the carved wooden railing as he spotted her through the gaps of the three-meter-high bookshelves. “Found anything you like?”

“I just got here,” she replied, setting the book down. “Didn’t you say you had family matters to attend to?”

“Finished,” he said with a faint smile. “The rest involves disputes among the sisters-in-law—no need for me to intervene.”

His expression was composed, though his voice carried a trace of discomfort.

After all, these were domestic quarrels, hardly requiring his arbitration.

So he had left in haste—his steps even quicker than usual—simply wanting to see Shi Yi’s reaction to such a gift. Yet now that he was here, he realized her response hardly mattered.

Bathed in the sunset’s glow from the window behind her, her serene and classical bearing resembled that of a legendary beauty who could topple cities with a single glance.

“Why not come to the window for a look?” He approached unhurriedly.

Shi Yi hesitated, glancing at the half-open window before forcing herself to move. A deep-seated dread made her fingers tremble and her breath grow labored. She wasn’t afraid of heights—ten zhang was only about ten stories—so why this terror? She took a quiet, steadying breath, not wanting him to notice her unease.

But he had already reached the window, pushing it fully open and securing the hook.

Now, the view stretched even wider.A breeze drifted in, flipping several pages of a book on the shelf near the window.

He leaned against the window and turned to look at her. "Come, take a look here."

Shi Yi didn't dare move, feeling an ache throughout her body—the kind of pain that seeped from the marrow, making her clench her fists tightly.

Gazing out the window without noticing her discomfort, he said, "From here, you can see the entire panorama of the old estate, along with the sunset." His voice was calm, carried by the cool evening wind, so familiar it was almost haunting.

Suppressing the fear in her heart, Shi Yi slowly walked over step by step and offered her hand to him. Only when he gently took it and led her to the window did she steady herself against the windowsill. The moment she did, her vision was flooded with a bloody red. His voice, though so close, seemed muffled as if separated by a layer of mist.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Zhou Shengchen braced one hand beside her, looking down to see her face slightly pale. "Shi Yi?"

He called her name. His breath and warmth were right beside her ear.

All the tangible sensations of reality gradually pulled her back from the nightmare until her vision cleared.

The bloody hue faded.

It was just the glow of the setting sun.

The endless stretches of white walls and black tiles, along with the lush greenery, were all elongated by the twilight. The estate truly seemed boundless—even the firewalls that marked its edges were swallowed by the dusk.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

She realized he had wanted her to see this view.

Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead, now visible in the fading sunlight. "You're suddenly sweating so much—are you really okay?" She shook her head before she could speak, just as Zhou Wenxing came upstairs.

Zhou Shengchen had been about to wipe the sweat from her forehead, but his half-extended hand withdrew midway, slipping into his pants pocket instead. It seemed that in the presence of a third person, he always maintained a reserved demeanor—so restrained he might as well have been a monk sworn off women.

Shi Yi couldn't help but laugh at his reaction.

So when Zhou Wenxing reached the top of the stairs, she saw Shi Yi smiling in amusement while her brother looked at her with a perfectly serious expression—no trace of a smile on his face, yet a subtle glimmer of joy in his eyes.

Zhou Wenxing grew even fonder of her future sister-in-law.

After all, this scientist brother of hers had never shown the slightest interest in women before.

That evening, Zhou Shengchen took her to meet his grandmother.

What struck her as odd was that his grandmother, despite her advanced age, didn’t live in the old estate.

The car left the mountainous area and turned into a modest nearby town, where they found the elderly woman living alone in a two-story house. Nearing a hundred years old, her eyesight was failing, but her mind remained sharp.

As Shi Yi sat beside the rocking chair, chatting with Grandma, Zhou Shengchen patiently inspected every piece of equipment and fixture in the house. He even checked the showerhead himself for any clogged pores.

"No matter how patient someone is, caring for an elderly person with no blood relation year after year can wear them down. No matter how many people are assigned here, there will always be moments of neglect. That’s why it’s best to check things myself," he explained softly to Shi Yi, who had walked over to watch him work.

Shi Yi nodded. "When caregivers aren’t the children themselves, they’ll inevitably slack off."

He smiled. "Speaking from experience?"

She elaborated, "My mother and uncles took turns caring for my grandma because they noticed the hired help wouldn’t talk to her or give her enough sunlight. Small things, but children would pay attention to them."She watched him, unable to help wondering if he was just as patient in the laboratory.

Zhou Shengchen finished inspecting the bathroom and turned on the faucet to wash his hands.

Observing him closely, she noticed what seemed like scars on his palms. "Your hands... were they injured?"

He gave a quiet hum. "It's normal."

By "normal," he naturally meant the minor hazards one inevitably encountered in the lab. Shi Yi pressed her lips together, feeling a pang of heartache, yet also recognizing it as part of his work—nothing more needed to be said.

Seeing that he had nearly finished his inspection, she left the bathroom to rejoin Grandma in conversation.

Zhou Shengchen lowered his head, continuing to wash his hands meticulously, though a faint smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head slightly to himself.

When Shi Yi returned to the elderly woman's side, she felt Grandma's hands fumbling to place a string of jade beads around her wrist.

Grandma clasped her hand and gave it a gentle pat. Before Shi Yi could examine the beads properly, Grandma began speaking.

"I... gave birth to a daughter who wronged the Zhousheng family her whole life," Grandma murmured, her words slightly slurred. Shi Yi leaned in closer to hear. "The eldest young master... shouldn't have married her. Had he known about her and the second young master, he never should have married her."

Shi Yi was baffled, realizing that the "eldest young master" Grandma referred to wasn’t Zhou Shengchen but his father.

Grandma heaved a deep sigh.

Then, clutching a 108-bead jade prayer bracelet, she silently began reciting scriptures.

Zhou Shengchen happened to emerge just then, and his eyes flickered with surprise at the sight of the 18-bead jade bracelet on Shi Yi's wrist. It wasn’t until their return trip that he explained its origins: "28 centimeters in circumference, eighteen jade beads," he said, his fingers tracing the cord beneath the coral bead. "Pink carved tourmaline, along with coral beads and pearls."

She lifted her wrist. "It's exquisite."

"It dates back to the late Ming, early Qing dynasty."

Shi Yi suddenly understood and couldn’t help laughing. "Zhou Shengchen, you should get me a safe. I need to lock these treasures away properly."

"It’s a prayer bracelet—a string of beads passed down through generations for chanting scriptures. Wear it," he said with a smile. "The Buddha will protect you."

"I know about these," she replied, using her forefinger to count the beads one by one. "This is the smallest version. There are also 27-bead, 54-bead, and 108-bead ones—all used for prayer."

The car wound through the mountain roads, the quiet surroundings making the fresh air even more invigorating.

A light breeze drifted in through the half-open window, tousling the loose strands of hair by her cheeks. Her smiling expression, coupled with the faint pride in flaunting her knowledge, made her look... rather endearing.

He watched her for a moment without speaking.

His gaze eventually made her self-conscious, and she chuckled, falling silent as well.

His car, along with the four vehicles following at a measured distance, continued toward the ancestral home.

But as they neared, they spotted multiple police cars parked outside the main gate.

The police cars remained silent, though their headlights were on, the pale beams crisscrossing to illuminate the road and stone carvings at the entrance. Uncle Lin quickly put on his earpiece and instructed the trailing cars to take an alternate route and not follow.

Confused by the situation, Shi Yi turned to glance at Zhou Shengchen.

He showed no surprise at all.He simply lowered his rolled-up sleeves and fastened the cufflinks by himself. "Uncle Lin, hand me Miss Shi Yi's passport." Uncle Lin, holding the steering wheel with his left hand, continued driving steadily toward the entrance of the old residence while his right hand retrieved four passports from the car's storage compartment and passed them over.

"Shi Yi, remember this," Zhou Shengchen took her handbag and placed the four passports inside. "You currently hold citizenship in four countries. I have diplomatic immunity here, and since you are nominally my wife, you also enjoy the same immunity."

His tone was matter-of-fact, leaving Shi Yi somewhat bewildered.

"To put it simply," he calmly explained, "no matter what happens, you don’t have to concern yourself with it."

The car slowly came to a stop.

Uncle Lin first removed his gloves, folded them neatly, and placed them on the driver's seat. He then adjusted his suit slightly before stepping out of the car. Shi Yi stared in shock at the unfolding scene. Two police officers approached, politely shaking hands with Uncle Lin and speaking in hushed tones.

Uncle Lin quickly shook his head, leaned toward the car, and began explaining.

The scene was eerily quiet—no voices could be heard—yet she could sense the gravity of the situation.

The conversation continued.

Though the outside was silent, her mind raced with wild thoughts.

The passports in her handbag—she had never even seen them before, let alone understood the implications. She had assumed Zhou Shengchen was merely the eldest son of a prominent family, never guessing he had the power to completely alter her nationality without her knowledge.

And now, with four or five police cars in front of them and Uncle Lin handling the situation so calmly...

It was clear he had anticipated all of this, placing both of them in the safest possible legal position.

He had "diplomatic immunity"? Which country’s diplomatic envoy was he?

Uncle Lin soon returned, opening the car door for Zhou Shengchen before quickly moving to Shi Yi’s side and performing the same courteous gesture for her.

Once out of the car, Shi Yi immediately linked her arm with his.

With so many police vehicles parked at the entrance, it was impossible not to feel uneasy. Her grip tightened slightly.

"Mr. Zhousheng, hello."

The lead officer, a middle-aged policeman, and a prosecutor who had personally arrived stepped forward. After shaking hands, they formally stated the purpose of their visit.

Zhou Shengchen remained silent, smiling faintly, while Shi Yi kept her eyes lowered, fixed on the ground. Only when the murder case involving Tang Xiaofu was mentioned did her fingers involuntarily tighten further.

The middle-aged officer acknowledged that they were aware of his diplomatic immunity.

But this case was far from a simple criminal matter. A series of charges—illegal detention, enforced disappearances, murder, torture—were all, to varying degrees, linked to him, with some even crossing international borders. Shi Yi listened in horror, gripping his arm tightly to keep her expression neutral.

Still, he said nothing, only offering a polite farewell at the end.

The power of his silence was intimidating.

Yet it was also an abyss of unanswered questions.

This composed Chinese man, an associate professor at Berkeley’s School of Chemistry, had publicly revealed his identity as a Russian diplomat just ten days prior. This bizarre shift in status—along with the woman beside him, who had renounced her citizenship before the case was filed to become his legal wife in Russia—was clearly orchestrated to counter these accusations.

"Mr. Zhousheng, we request that you cease your academic activities in Xi'an."He paused slightly, "I regret this, but I will certainly respect your wishes."

Out of courtesy, he maintained the demeanor of a host as he saw off all the uninvited guests.

Shi Yi wanted to move but found her legs numb from prolonged tension. Zhou Shengchen didn’t notice at first and took two steps forward. By the time he realized, it was too late. His movement caused her to stumble, unable to keep up, and she fell to her knees on the ground.

It hurt. She winced.

Her stockings rubbed against the rough floor, sticking to the scraped wounds.

"Sorry, Shi Yi," he said, kneeling on one knee before her to carefully examine her injuries.

The pain was so sharp that when he supported her arm, she instinctively tried to sit on the ground, but he stopped her. "Don’t sit here. The lighting is poor, and it’s inconvenient for anyone to come check. Let me carry you inside."

Without waiting for her reply, he slid his arms beneath her and lifted her horizontally.

He swiftly ascended over a dozen stone steps. Uncle Lin quickly pushed open the main door, and without slowing his pace—almost striding briskly—he carried her inside. Along the way, people bowed and greeted him as "Young Master," while some vaguely familiar faces watched them in surprise.

Shi Yi rested her head against his shoulder, listening to his rapid heartbeat, and found her own breathing quickening.

From the pain, and from being carried like this.

She glanced at her knees, where the silver-gray stockings were stained with blood and riddled with runs, looking utterly disheveled and unsightly. A deeply private thought suddenly overshadowed her earlier fear and the pain of the fall—she wanted to cover her knees, not wanting him to see anything unseemly...

Zhou Shengchen, of course, had no idea of her thoughts.

Only when they entered his courtyard and saw the traditional and Western doctors summoned by Uncle Lin did he relax slightly.

Waiting in the hall were not just the family physicians.

The room was packed.

Among those Shi Yi recognized were his mother, uncle, younger brother Zhou Wenchuan, and sister-in-law Tong Jiaren. The unfamiliar faces were undoubtedly distant relatives—those of the same generation likely weren’t qualified to participate in such matters. Their expressions varied at the sight. His mother and Tong Jiaren visibly stiffened, while Zhou Wenchuan found it amusing, remarking inwardly how his elder brother was becoming more romantic.

"I’ll be back shortly," he said briefly before carrying her upstairs.

All four family doctors followed.

When he finally placed her on a wooden chair in the room, Zhou Shengchen noticed his hand resting near her chest.

The moment he saw it, so did she.

He quickly withdrew his hand, instructed the doctors to treat her promptly, and left without looking back.

(End of Chapter)