Chapter 20: How to Untangle Love (Part 2)
While keeping Zhou Wenchuan company in conversation, Shi Yi pretended to watch the soccer match, still pondering the meaning behind his intentional encounter. Perhaps it was a woman's intuition, but she could sense that Zhou Wenchuan's affection for Zhou Shengchen wasn't as deep as that of his twin sister. Whether it was because of Tong Jiaren or some other reason, she understood she couldn't fully trust this man.
After the match ended, the two left the stadium.
Zhou Wenchuan had a car waiting. She could tell that the attendants and driver accompanying him were, like Zhou Shengchen's, from families that had served theirs for generations—polite, disciplined, addressing her as "Miss Shi Yi" and him as "Second Young Master."
Zhou Wenchuan quietly asked whether Tong Jiaren had already returned to the hotel. The middle-aged man in a black suit gave a slight nod, and only then did Zhou Wenchuan turn to Shi Yi. "Did my brother arrange a car for you? Would you like me to take you back to the hotel?"
Shi Yi shook her head and casually replied, "No need, I’ve made plans with a friend."
Zhou Wenchuan raised a brow slightly, as if seeing through her excuse, but didn’t call her out.
He took an ordinary envelope from one of his attendants and handed it to her. "This, I believe, should belong to you. Marriages in the Zhou family have always been arranged by our elders, prioritizing sentiment over interests. From a familial standpoint, I cherish my marriage and hope you, Miss Shi Yi, will remain silent as well. But at the same time, this matter must be resolved."
She accepted it. After watching him get into the car and leave, she ran her fingers over the sealed envelope.
Inside, she could feel a very small object—likely a ring.
She didn’t open it immediately.
Only after returning to the hotel, washing her hands, and pouring herself a cup of hot water did she finally open the envelope and take out the ring, identical to the one on Zhou Shengchen’s finger. It was a simple band, devoid of any embellishments or even engravings—until she looked closer. Inside the ring, she found the inscription: "Year Xīn Mǎo, 4th month, 9th day."
Though she didn’t often keep track of lunar dates, she would never forget that this corresponded to May 11th of this year.
This was the ring he had lost—there was no mistake.
Shi Yi slipped the ring onto her finger. Her slender fingers made it too large, so she idly spun it around for a while. The slight jealousy she had felt earlier dissipated. Though she still minded Tong Jiaren’s lifelong closeness to him, she was certain he had no knowledge of this.
No one would be foolish enough to give away a ring engraved with their wedding date.
Especially not someone of Zhou Shengchen’s intelligence…
She exhaled softly just as the door opened from the outside. Zhou Shengchen walked in, closing it behind him.
Shi Yi looked up at him and inexplicably recalled their intimacy that morning, her gaze quickly drifting away. "I ran into your brother today."
Zhou Shengchen draped his coat over the sofa. "Did he seek you out?"
"Mm. He even watched half the match with me."
He had been about to sit down when he noticed the ring on her finger. After a brief pause, he pieced everything together. "He gave this to you?"
"Mm."
"Did he also tell you about my relationship with Tong Jiaren?"
"Mm."
"How much did he say?" He sat down calmly. "Do I need to fill in the gaps?"
Shi Yi found his composure strange. "Aren’t you afraid I’d get angry?"
Zhou Shengchen smiled faintly. "You’re intelligent enough to think for yourself."She burst into laughter. "Thank you for the compliment."
"Tong Jiaren and I have known each other since childhood, attending the same schools all along. Even now, we occasionally collaborate," Zhou Shengchen said, seeming a bit thirsty as he naturally picked up Shi Yi's cup from the table and took a sip. "Later, her younger sister married my uncle, and our engagement was called off. After that, for reasons I'm not entirely clear about, she married Wenchuan."
His brief yet straightforward explanation clarified these matters.
She thought to herself that having grown up together and been engaged, only for it to end under such peculiar circumstances, Tong Jiaren must still hold feelings for him. Moreover, Zhou Wenchuan had mentioned that she and Zhou Shengchen shared similar interests—they were cut from the same cloth.
Twirling the ring on her finger, her thoughts wandered aimlessly.
When her gaze drifted back, she found him watching her thoughtfully.
"I'm leaving tomorrow," he said. "Early morning flight."
She set the ring down on the table. "I should head back too."
Zhou Shengchen had mentioned earlier that he would only stay in Bremen for a week, so his announcement didn’t come as a surprise—though she couldn’t help feeling reluctant to part.
Shi Yi had never hidden her attachment to him.
He noticed it too. "The conference is over now. But I have some personal matters to attend to later. I should be back by dinnertime."
"Can I come with you?" she asked tentatively. "I won’t interfere with your work."
She simply wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, even if it meant waiting in the car.
After a brief pause, he nodded. "Alright. Tell Uncle Lin what books you’d like to read, and he’ll prepare some for the car."
She thought it was a great idea. Grabbing a notepad from the table, she jotted down a few titles in pencil—books she’d wanted to read but hadn’t gotten around to buying. Her handwriting was elegant, even strikingly refined. Zhou Shengchen took the note and studied it with mild surprise. "Your calligraphy might even rival Uncle Liu’s," he remarked, referring to the elder who had inscribed her painting the other day.
She smiled, not denying it.
After all, having once been his student, she took pride in it.
He called for Uncle Lin, handed him the note, and instructed him to prepare the books for Shi Yi to read that afternoon. Once Uncle Lin left the room, Zhou Shengchen turned to her with earnestness. "Shi Yi, I apologize. Though we’re already husband and wife, I’m still unfamiliar with even your handwriting. Once this matter is fully resolved, I’ll set aside a long stretch of time for us to get to know each other properly."
This man always chose the most unexpected moments to be serious.
She chuckled, glancing at the extra ring still on the table.
Following her gaze, Zhou Shengchen retrieved his wallet from his inner coat pocket and placed the ring inside. "This won’t happen again."
After a short rest, they soon left the hotel.
True to his word, the car was stocked with books she liked. Upon reaching their destination, Zhou Shengchen asked if she preferred to wait in the car or accompany him inside to find a place to rest. Leaning against the seat, she thought for a moment. "Will you be long?"
"No," he replied, removing his coat and placing it beside her. "Half an hour at most."
He was meticulous about time—if he said half an hour, he meant it."I'll wait in the car," she waved the book in her hand, "I can read for another half hour. If I go up with you, it'll just be strangers... I really don't like meeting new people."
"Noticed that," he chuckled, leaning closer to whisper, "You blush."
Her eyes widened: "Really?"
"Really."
With a smile, he got out of the car, leaving her with Uncle Lin.
However, after Zhou Shengchen left, Uncle Lin also stepped away from the driver's seat, standing near the front of the vehicle.
The parking garage of this building was on the third floor with an open view. She glanced around, realizing Uncle Lin had likely considered her status and chosen not to sit inside the car with her. Lowering her head, she continued flipping through the book—a collection of unofficial histories and legends, stories passed down over centuries. The writer's skill was evident; the tragic parts moved her deeply, while the heroic moments naturally stirred her emotions.
Word by word, sentence by sentence, decades and centuries flashed by.
Until his name appeared.
Simple black print on white paper, just a dozen or so lines, yet she stared at them for a full seven or eight minutes, afraid to read further.
Her heart pounded against her chest, the dull, tense thudding loud in her ears.
She hadn't stopped searching for traces of those half-dreamlike memories, but most accounts were brief mentions. As a rebel and traitor, no one had written books about him. His brilliance in life had left no mark in thousands of years of history.
She leaned back, and after a long while, finally read through the unofficial account word by word.
Later writers often wielded their pens too harshly.
The author portrayed him as a treacherous official who rose to military power in his youth and dominated the court, stating it with such certainty as if his version alone was historical truth. Shi Yi fell silent for a moment, then tore out the page, shredding it into pieces before stuffing them into her pants pocket.
She lost all interest in reading further.
Setting the book aside, she noticed the coat he'd taken off before leaving the car.
Unable to resist, she reached out and touched it, her fingers tracing lightly along the sleeve's cuff in a small circle. Just that was enough to make her cheeks burn, as if she'd brushed against his wrist.
His once-declared vow to "never betray the world" had ultimately been buried.
And what he sought to accomplish now might not even be recorded centuries or millennia later.
His ambitions, his compassion, his deeds—how many could truly understand them?
Her mind was in turmoil. Forcing herself to close her eyes and rest, she tried to calm her thoughts.
The moment her eyelids shut and darkness descended, a sudden burst of sharp, rapid gunfire shattered the silence. Shi Yi's eyes flew open in disbelief as she looked out the rear window—four men, unmasked and unconcealed, were firing their weapons. Though their targets weren't nearby, the sounds of bullets shattering car windows and piercing metal were terrifyingly real.
"Miss Shi Yi," Uncle Lin's voice came urgently from behind as he swiftly opened the car door. "Don't move. Stay in the car."
Before she could react, four cars screeched to a halt in front of hers, blocking her view.
The people who stepped out stood in silent formation, shielding her vehicle. The distant gunfire and the screams of fleeing people seemed to belong to another world.
The gunfire continued, but she could no longer see what was happening.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she clutched his coat beside her.
Her mind blank, she could only remember Uncle Lin's instruction: Don't move.
Soon, the gunfire ceased.But the cars and people protecting her remained motionless. She didn’t dare blink, staring fixedly in the direction she had last seen, even though she could see nothing now. Slowly, she told herself, Shi Yi, you need to stay calm, stay calm…
Suddenly, the car door opened.
She instinctively clutched his clothes, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at the door.
“Shi Yi.”
It was Zhou Shengchen calling her.
She wanted to respond, but her lips parted without a sound.
“Shi Yi,” he called again, his voice softer this time as he slid into the car beside her. “It’s alright. There’s nothing to fear. No danger at all.” For the first time, his words lacked their usual precision, replaced by whatever phrases might soothe her most—reassuring her again and again that she was safe.
His voice, deliberately gentle, continued to comfort her.
Zhou Shengchen took her hands, pulling them free from his clothes and clasping them tightly in his own. “Say something, Shi Yi. Call my name.”
“Zhou Shengchen…” She obeyed, finally speaking her first words.
“Again.”
“Zhou Shengchen…”
“Keep saying it.”
“Zhou Shengchen.”
His voice guided her away from the sudden gunfight—the sharp, brutal sounds of gunfire fading gradually as their exchange continued. His palms were warm and firm, slightly damp with sweat, gripping her hands so tightly it almost hurt.
Yet it was precisely that pressure, the ache of his grip, that slowly steadied her.
“Feeling better?” he asked quietly.
“Mm.” She forced a weak smile. “I’m sorry. I’ve just never experienced anything like this before…”
Not even in her past life had she witnessed the chaos of cold steel or the stillness of death.
“It’s fine. Your reaction is completely normal.” With his right hand, he brushed her hair behind her ear, his fingers grazing her cheek—only to find it damp with sweat. “No one is fearless in a gunfight.”
Outside of films, this was her first encounter with such violence.
Yet he remained utterly composed.
Shi Yi could tell he felt no fear—only concern for her.
The gunfight in such a bustling area quickly drew the police, cars streaming into the parking lot one after another. Unwilling to let her stay any longer, Zhou Shengchen secured special permission for their group to leave before the area was cordoned off. As their car pulled away, Shi Yi’s gaze involuntarily searched for the scene of the shooting.
Shattered windows. Glass strewn across the ground.
Western-looking bystanders waiting under police supervision to give statements.
Their abrupt departure drew curious looks—even from the officers. Though she knew they couldn’t see her through the tinted windows, she averted her eyes anyway, catching Zhou Shengchen’s gaze in her periphery. She turned to him, offering a faint smile. “I’m much better now. Don’t worry.”
He reached out, stroking her hair. “Get some proper rest when we’re back.”
She nodded.
A sudden fear gripped her—what if one of them had been struck by a stray bullet, with no chance for help? Would they have been separated again? The thought lingered, stubborn and unsettling.
Zhou Shengchen seemed to share her unease. Instead of dining out, he arranged for their meal to be served in their room.The silver chopsticks felt slightly cold in her hand. Distracted and with little appetite, Shi Yi barely touched her food. Zhou Shengchen noticed but didn’t urge her to eat, soon having the dishes cleared and ordering some tea and snacks for her instead.
After the meal was taken away, Uncle Lin entered as if he had something to say. Shi Yi tactfully excused herself and went to the bedroom to change into more casual clothes. As she removed her outerwear, tiny scraps of paper fluttered to the floor.
They were from the torn page of the book earlier that afternoon.
Having nowhere to dispose of them at the time, she had absentmindedly tucked the scraps into her pants pocket. Now, reaching inside, her fingers came away coated in paper fragments. Afraid he might see, she carried the pants into the bathroom, thoroughly turned out the pockets, and shook all the scraps into the toilet before flushing them away.
When she stepped out again, Zhou Shengchen was already inside the room.
“Why are you holding your pants?” he asked, puzzled.
“Nothing. I changed in the bathroom in case you came in.”
A faint smile touched his lips. “Afraid I’d come in?”
His tone held a teasing note.
Shi Yi recognized it but didn’t respond in kind. She placed the pants on the sofa and turned around to find him standing very close. “Still thinking about what happened earlier?”
“Mm.”
“It was an accident,” he explained briefly. “That building is a large Chinese market. The shops there have long employed two logistics companies, and this time, a dispute broke out between them. You know how violent the logistics industry can be—conflicts between companies are severe worldwide, often resolved through force. We just happened to be there when it happened.”
She nodded, accepting his explanation.
Then silence settled between them.
He was right there within reach, yet so easily lost.
Whether it was his identity or the fragility of life revealed by the earlier incident, unease clung to her.
Zhou Shengchen noticed her mood and was about to say more when she gently took one of his hands, resting at his side, while the other grasped the edge of his shirt. Quickly, she leaned in and kissed him.
“Zhou Shengchen,” she murmured, “I’m very beautiful, aren’t I? Among the people you know, I must be one of the most beautiful… Or maybe there are others more beautiful than me, but—”
“No, there’s no woman more beautiful than you,” he said with a laugh. “When I studied history, I never believed in the ‘beauty trap.’ But after meeting you, I’ve come to believe it.”
His words were veiled, yet the compliment was extravagant.
She knew she was attractive, but not to such an exaggerated degree. Still, even the plainest woman would find joy in being praised so by the one she loved most. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder —the allure of this saying lies not in being compared to Xi Shi, but in knowing the one who finds you most beautiful is your true love.
Shi Yi exhaled softly. “So… I’m not unworthy of you, am I?”
“No,” he whispered. “You fulfill every vanity a man could have.”
Her lips curved into a subtle smile.
She continued unbuttoning his shirt.
Zhou Shengchen asked no more questions, nor did he stop her. Instead, as her nervous fingers worked, he lowered his head and kissed her.
He remembered—
In the annals of history, the beauty trap was a strategy that toppled kingdoms, yet there were those who willingly let nations fall for a single glance.
(End of Chapter)
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