Chapter 27: The Unsolvable Riddle (1)
Zhou Wenxing spoke a few fragmented words before she truly began to cry.
She wept bitterly, her sorrow overwhelming.
Shi Yi was genuinely startled and found herself comforting her instead: "I'm fine now, really, Wen Xing."
"I was so terrified," Wen Xing choked out, her voice thick with tears. "Truly terrified. If you had really... my brother would have hated me."
Shi Yi reassured her, "He wouldn't. He loves you very much. And it was just an accident, right?"
Every time Zhou Shengchen mentioned his younger sister, his expression softened with affection. Shi Yi knew he must care deeply for Wen Xing—just as he did for Xiao Ren. Within the walls of this old estate, these few individuals were rare sources of warmth.
Wen Xing spoke for a while longer before exhaustion overtook her, yet she continued to apologize repeatedly, her guilt evident.
In the end, it was Shi Yi who comforted Wen Xing, persuading her with gentle words until she finally agreed to return and rest. The young woman Zhou Shengchen had left behind skillfully replaced the nutrient IV bag, offering Shi Yi a kind smile.
"Thank you."
The girl smiled again. "Don't worry, Madam. The young master will return soon."
Shi Yi paused, then smiled in return.
By lunchtime, he still hadn’t returned.
The young woman had offered to feed her, but Shi Yi declined with a smile, requesting instead a small wooden tray to place over her lap so she could eat slowly. She didn’t feel particularly hungry, though her stomach ached slightly as she ate. The girl reassured her that dizziness and stomach pain were common after nearly drowning—her brain had been deprived of oxygen for a time, and the trauma of inhaling water was bound to leave lingering effects.
The current treatment focused on nourishing her nerves and protecting her liver.
Remembering Wen Xing’s mention of her heart stopping, Shi Yi felt a pang of fear but chose not to press further.
As she ate quietly, she couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone’s reactions were unusually cautious—as though... this hadn’t been an accident at all.
The door opened.
Zhou Shengchen walked in, his gaze immediately settling on the figure in the bed.
Dressed in white pajamas, she looked fragile. He motioned for the young woman to leave, and Shi Yi noticed, lifting her head to look at him. "You're back? Have you eaten?"
"I have," he replied, sitting beside her and lowering his voice. "Shall I feed you?"
Shi Yi blinked, then smiled. "Alright."
When she had first woken up, his absence had left her with a sense of emptiness.
But now, considering his unchanged shirt, she realized he must have stayed by her side all night, only leaving once she regained consciousness to attend to his sister.
"Grandma wasn’t doing well last night," he said, taking the spoon from her hand and scooping up a portion of plain congee, bringing it to her lips. "Everything happened at once."
She looked surprised. "How is she now? Better?"
"Much better. When I saw her earlier, she was even telling me old jokes."
Relieved, Shi Yi thought of Wen Xing but hesitated to speak.
"What is it?" he asked gently, watching her.
"Wen Xing’s health... is it...?"
"Yes. That’s why she was brought back here to recuperate."
"And last night...?"
"Last night, she was in slightly better condition than you, but not by much."
"Then why did you bring her to see me?"
"She insisted," Zhou Shengchen said, momentarily at a loss for words. "I couldn’t stop her."
He fed her another spoonful, and Shi Yi obediently opened her mouth to accept it.She could sense he wasn't in the best mood today, so she didn't say much. When Zhou Shengchen put down his porridge bowl and spoon, he pulled a small box from his pants pocket, opened it, and took out a pendant. A dark red cord tied with a pipa knot dangled a smooth white peace buckle.
"Peace buckle?" She pursed her lips.
"Yes, a peace buckle." His voice sounded tired, yet gentle.
"Help me put it on," Shi Yi pointed to her neck, slightly coquettish, "It must protect my safety."
This had been his intention when choosing it.
He took out the peace buckle, loosened the knot for her, and fastened it around her neck from the front: "Last night, how did you fall into the water?"
"Last night?" She touched the gift he'd given her, thinking carefully. "The boat was turning and rocking a bit. Wen Xing was sitting by the edge, saying she felt dizzy. I went to steady her, then lost my footing and fell in."
"Lost your footing?"
"Mhm, maybe I wasn't standing in a good position, or the surface was uneven—I just slipped."
It had happened in an instant, too sudden for her to notice anything unusual.
He retied the knot.
Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he pulled her into his embrace: "I'm tired. I want to sleep for a while."
"Then take off your coat and lie down properly." She placed her hand over his, finding it wonderfully warm.
"Let me just hold you like this," he murmured softly. "I won't sleep long. Just closing my eyes like this with you in my arms will be enough."
As he spoke, he removed his glasses and set them aside.
Adjusting his hold to make her more comfortable, he truly fell silent and gradually drifted asleep.
Afraid of disturbing him, she didn't dare move.
She sat until her body grew stiff but still refrained from shifting, only puckering her lips in silent amusement: My beloved scientist, is this how you keep a patient company...?
Worried she might feel hot, he'd turned on the air conditioning, yet perhaps concerned she'd find it stuffy, he'd also left the window open. The temperature was pleasant, and her earlier urge to move faded. Instead, she recalled Wen Xing's words.
She remembered—when she'd briefly regained consciousness on shore, he'd been kneeling beside her, watching over her.
Wen Xing had mentioned his pale face, how he'd refused to speak, only calling her name repeatedly. He must have stayed in that position, drawing her back from illusions again and again with his quiet voice.
From the sunlit study to the brightly lit shore. From the past until now.
The thought filled her with such happiness.
She wanted to smile.
After a while, she did smile, secretly lifting his hand to press a kiss against it before gently returning it to its place.
When the nurse came to remove her IV, Zhou Shengchen finally awoke.
She tentatively asked if he'd let her accompany him to visit Grandma. He seemed hesitant, but Shi Yi quickly added how much the old lady liked her—her presence would surely bring joy. Besides, with him by her side, nothing could go wrong. He eventually agreed and instructed Uncle Lin to prepare the car.
Upon arrival, they coincidentally encountered Zhou Wenchuan and Tong Jiaren.
The couple had been chatting with the elderly woman. Upon entering, Shi Yi gave a slight nod in greeting. Toward Zhou Shengchen's younger brother and sister-in-law, she could never find the right attitude—she actually prayed to see them less. But since they'd met like this, there was nothing to be done."I wonder if I'll live to see the baby born," the elderly woman murmured softly, gently stroking Tong Jiaren's belly with a faint smile. As she spoke, her other hand never ceased turning the prayer beads.
"How could you not?" Tong Jiaren chuckled quietly. "We're still waiting for you to choose a nickname for them."
"That's right," Grandma seemed in good spirits. "I was the one who named you, and now, in the blink of an eye, you're all grown up."
They continued chatting.
Grandma had always held a special affection for Tong Jiaren and Zhou Shengchen.
From their conversation, it was clear that Tong Jiaren had indeed grown up alongside Zhou Shengchen, with the elderly woman having cared for both of them for a long time. Childhood sweethearts—wasn’t that the perfect way to describe such a bond?
Shi Yi sat on a chair by the bed, not far from Zhou Wenchuan.
Both of them, temporarily sidelined, remained silent.
The only difference was that Shi Yi kept her gaze on Grandma, smiling whenever the elderly woman glanced her way, letting her know she was still there, keeping her company. Zhou Wenchuan, on the other hand, only had eyes for Tong Jiaren, clearly deeply concerned about his wife.
"Mother has been wanting to visit you," Tong Jiaren suddenly brought up Zhou Shengchen’s mother.
The elderly woman gave a faint hum in response.
She offered no further reply and easily steered the conversation elsewhere.
"I notice you two brothers don’t see each other often," Grandma turned her attention to Zhou Wenchuan. "Now that you’ve finally met, why aren’t you talking?"
Zhou Wenchuan laughed lightly. "It’s better for your granddaughter-in-law to keep you company. We’re just here to listen and sit by your side."
Zhou Shengchen also smiled. "Today is about visiting you. We juniors have plenty of chances to talk among ourselves."
On the surface, the brothers seemed to be echoing each other.
But appearances could be deceiving.
Shi Yi thought to herself—if even she, the latest addition to the family, could see through it, how could Grandma not?
Sure enough, Grandma sighed softly and spoke slowly, "A gentleman has three warnings: in youth, when vitality is unsettled, beware of lust; in maturity, when vitality is strong, beware of strife; in old age, when vitality declines, beware of greed."
Confused, Shi Yi glanced at Zhou Shengchen.
Zhou Shengchen seemed to have guessed what Grandma was getting at and smiled slightly.
"You two are in the prime of life. You must avoid fighting over worldly possessions..." Grandma quickly clarified the meaning. "Brothers are a rare bond, after all."
Zhou Wenchuan shook his head in amusement. "You always overthink things."
Tong Jiaren gently patted Grandma’s hand. "Grandma, don’t worry. There are only two of them. And if there’s ever any rift between them, I’ll be here to mediate."
The elderly woman gave a faint, ambiguous smile and resumed counting her 108 prayer beads.
Devout and earnest.
Perhaps every elderly person devoted to Buddhism was like this.
Reciting scriptures and chanting prayers, they often forgot about the people keeping them company.
By the time the four of them left the small building, it was nearly dinnertime. Tong Jiaren glanced at the two brothers and suddenly suggested they all eat out together—a rare reunion to catch up.
"Let’s go," Shi Yi whispered when Zhou Shengchen looked to her for her opinion.
Since they were close to the Zhou family’s guest restaurant, they decided to dine there.
The four of them sat at a table by the window.
Outside was a lotus pond, where the flowers, though not yet withered, had lost the exuberant bloom of midsummer."I heard from Mother that when Miss Shi Yi visited last time, she painted something?" Tong Jiaren personally picked up the teapot to refill her cup. "To earn Uncle Chen's high praise, I'd really love to see it."
She smiled and said, "Thank you. I only know how to paint lotuses. With enough practice, I've gotten better at them."
Tong Jiaren smiled without responding and set down the teapot.
Just then, someone brought over two bowls of soup, placing one each beside Tong Jiaren and Shi Yi.
All four of them found it odd—nothing had been ordered, so why was soup being served?
"This was arranged by Madam," the butler quickly explained. "One bowl for the Second Young Madam to nourish her pregnancy, and one for Miss Shi Yi to replenish her health."
Shi Yi was pleasantly surprised—this was completely unexpected.
Tong Jiaren acknowledged the explanation and soon opened her bowl, taking a whiff. "Hmm... probably not very tasty."
Zhou Wenchuan shook his head with a chuckle. "Whether you drink it or not is up to you."
Shi Yi also opened hers—a rich broth with a faint herbal aroma.
She picked up a spoon, gave it a light stir, and scooped up a spoonful.
Just as she was about to take a sip, Zhou Shengchen's hand stopped her. "You're on Western medication right now. It's not suitable to consume herbal soups."
His voice was calm, and though the interruption was sudden, his reasoning was sound.
Still... Shi Yi thought for a moment before softly replying, "I'll just take a sip or two. Your mother would be happy to know I tried it." Zhou Shengchen hesitated, his expression unreadable.
She had already lowered her head to take a small sip, then frowned.
"What's wrong?" He frowned too, pressing her.
"Bitter—" Shi Yi stuck out her tongue and laughed.
Zhou Shengchen was momentarily speechless before chuckling as well. "Later, I'll have them make you something sweet."
"Okay."
Ever since the incident by the water, Zhou Shengchen had become even more cautious about the people around her.
Whenever she moved about the old estate, it was always with female attendants or Uncle Lin. Shi Yi sometimes found it bothersome, so she preferred staying in her room, thinking things would settle once the Ghost Month passed.
After all, in Shanghai, she had her own circle of friends, whereas here, apart from Wen Xing, there was hardly anyone to talk to. Still, the quiet gave her time to focus on writing.
Some days, she could draft thousands of words, then extract the best passages to transcribe neatly onto proper paper.
Every word and phrase was carefully chosen.
Zhou Shengchen's mother was gradually warming up to her.
Sometimes, she even invited Shi Yi over for tea.
Worried that Zhou Shengchen might be concerned, Shi Yi only went when he accompanied her. Fortunately, her "poor health" served as an excuse—otherwise, her parents would likely scold her for being disrespectful to elders.
His mother would always prepare special tonics for her, insisting she consume them on the spot.
This habit was peculiar—much like Zhou Shengchen's own tendency to oversee what she ate or used, as if only seeing it firsthand could put his mind at ease.
"Wen Xing mentioned you've read many classical texts?" his mother asked once Shi Yi set down her spoon.
"I've read some," Shi Yi replied with a smile. "I find the language of classical literature quite beautiful."
"Any particular favorites?"
"It's quite varied. Well... I've probably read most of what's been published, along with some rare editions."
She disliked complicated social interactions, so for over twenty years in this lifetime, she had devoted most of her time to reading—about the dynastic changes that followed, the poetry and prose of eras past."I quite like girls who read," his mother said with a faint smile, looking at her.
This was the first time in so long that his mother had expressed any approval of her.
She smiled in return.
"But—I still hold to my opinion that you aren't suited for our family," his mother continued, gazing at her. "Your family background is good—not aristocratic or politically prominent, but still a scholarly household. Your parents are harmonious, you have no siblings, and your social circle as an adult has been very simple. Fixed routines, fixed activities—a very regular yet flexible profession. Am I right?"
She thought for a moment and replied, "Yes. On weekends, I accompany my parents. On weekday mornings, I read. From afternoon until around midnight, I'm in the recording studio dubbing, just working with scripts and sound engineers."
Zhou Shengchen glanced at her.
He seemed to want to stop his mother's questioning, but for some reason, he abandoned the idea.
"Aside from classmates, your social circle consists of fellow voice actors, your superiors, and neighbor friends—it's never expanded beyond that, has it?"
"No," she answered earnestly. "I prefer dedicating my time to professional dubbing and reading. Most of my remaining time is spent with my parents, so simple interpersonal relationships suit me well."
Zhou Shengchen's mother smiled slightly. "You've arranged your life very well and live very steadily. Why not go back and continue that life?"
Shi Yi froze for a moment, about to speak, but was stopped.
"Miss Shi Yi, let me finish," she said, her demeanor revealing a poise that couldn't be cultivated overnight. "Let me give you an example. Ten years ago, a cruise ship departed from a coastal port. Most of its passengers were involved in underground businesses, spanning politics, mining, land, jewelry, drugs, and arms trading."
Shi Yi remembered similar words—Zhou Shengchen had once spoken them.
About the death of Xiao Ren's birth mother.
"And the owner of that cruise ship was the Zhou family," his mother continued, slightly adjusting her shawl as if reminiscing. "At the time, nineteen people died on board. One was a member of the Zhou family—Xiao Ren's birth mother—and the rest were outsiders. The funds and assets circulating in the casino amounted to billions of dollars. Yet, on our own ship, we secured the agency rights to enter Iran's auto market and obtained the world's only independent tellurium primary deposit."
His mother paused briefly, signaling for fresh tea.
It was Bijian Mingyue.
"Doesn't it sound like one of the movies you've dubbed?" his mother gestured for her to drink the tea.
(End of Chapter)
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