withered lover

The glass door of the cafe made a slight sound, and the only clerk in the cafe trotted away.

Shen Guiwan sat across from Lu Yi, calmly accepting her probing look.

Lu Yi's slightly parted lips moved twice, as if about to say something, but stopped abruptly, and asked with difficulty after a while, "Do you think I will believe this reason?"

She looked at Shen Guiwan, hoping to see a trace of panic after lying on his face, but there was no wave in Shen Guiwan's eyes.

He faced Lu Yi's gaze frankly, and replied in a flat tone: "I don't think so, but I only have this reason."

The scar on Shen Guiwan's palm was branded on Lu Yi's pupils, like an invisible hand grasping the key from the mess of clues in her head.

Lu Yi opened her eyes slightly, "Is your father Shen Lu?"

Her hand holding the USB flash drive trembled, and the USB flash drive rolled over on the solid wood table, making disturbing knocking noises.

"En." Shen Guiwan responded softly.

Lu Yi made a single sound with unknown meaning, and his expression gradually became strange, "Shen Lu treats you like this, what about your mother? Didn't she stop it?"

"Passed away." Shen Guiwan said, "It happened many years ago."

His tone was too calm, and when he mentioned his mother's death, it was like saying "the weather is really nice today", but it made Lu Yi's heart ache.

"I'm sorry." Lu Yi had an expression of pity and intolerance intertwined on his face.

During the period of Shen Guiwan's sudden appearance, Lu Yi has been suspicious of Shen Guiwan, suspecting that he has evil intentions and used his sister.

However, she maliciously speculated about all possible motives, but she didn't want to be the worst and most unbearable situation.

She repeatedly poked Shen Guiwan's sad spot, but the good-tempered man in front of her always accepted everything calmly, as if she was used to being treated like this.

There is no need for Shen Guiwan to tell lame lies, not to mention that his request is not too much, in Lu Yi's view, he is just trying to save himself.

Shen Guiwan heard Lu Yi apologize to herself for the third time, and slowly curled up her open palms.

He covered the ugly scar with his fingers and shook his head slightly.

Lu Yi lowered her head and let out a long sigh, the end of the sigh was trembling, mixed with too many emotions that Shen Guiwan couldn't understand.

She was silent for a moment, then raised her head abruptly, blinking her eyes vigorously.

It wasn't until the strange emotion in his eyes was wiped away that Lu Yi pushed the USB flash drive in front of Shen Guiwan, "Take it."

"Thank you." Shen Guiwan stuffed the USB flash drive into his pocket, and leaned slightly to thank Lu Yi.

Lu Yi and Shen Guiwan are of the same generation, but Shen Guiwan kept his posture very low, with a humble and polite attitude. Seeing his slightly pale face, Lu Yi couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

She didn't know what Shen Guiwan had gone through to become what she is now, just standing in front of her just now, she looked as if she was about to fall down at any time.

Lu Yi bit her lip, "I entrusted a friend to check the contents of the USB flash drive. He is in charge of this aspect in the capital. A working group will be sent over in the next year, and it should be resolved soon."

People always have some excessive sympathy, just now they were mocking Shen Guiwan as a Bodhisattva descended to earth, why not herself.

Shen Guiwan didn't expect that Lu Yi would do things like this, it has far exceeded his expectations, now he doesn't need to do anything, he just needs to wait until the next year to be relieved.

Even though he doesn't want to take revenge on Shen Lu so strongly now, if Lu Yi can really help him, even if it is to fulfill his mother's last entrustment before her death, Shen Guiwan is willing to struggle a little longer.

"Then... trouble you." He suppressed the trembling in his throat, trying to make his voice sound less strange.

Lu Yi waved her hands indifferently, "It's just a little thing, just go with it."

Shen Guiwan rubbed the scar on his palm and smiled self-deprecatingly.

To others, breaking Shen Lu is just a trivial matter of raising hands and talking, but in Shen Guiwan's long and tormented life, it is more difficult than ascending to heaven.

He has no connections, no money and power, and nothing in his hands that can compete with Shen Lu, so he can only be manipulated by others.

In fact, in the final analysis, he was a little bit unwilling.

Shen Guiwan fell into silence on his own, while Lu Yi, who was sitting opposite him, was also deep in thought.

Although Shen Lu seems to have so many connections and connections, in the end he is just a small businessman, and no one will be willing to protect him when he encounters a big event.

The real trouble for her is Yu Minggu.

Lu Yi left home early and has been developing abroad. Although she has friends from the past to help her return to China, it involves her interests and future. There are a few people who are willing to accompany her to face Yu Minggu, who is backed by an entire pharmaceutical group.

This kind of behavior is tantamount to blocking a car with one's arms, but she will not tell Shen Guiwan about this. When a person who cannot get rid of his biological father meets someone who is in the same situation as himself, it is already the greatest resistance to be able to no longer stand idly by. What does he do.

As Lu Yi thought about it, she suddenly remembered the doctor Shen Guiwan had mentioned.

"That doctor..." She hesitated, "Does he know your injuries?"

Shen Guiwan nodded, and spread out his palms, "I know, he helped me deal with it."

Lu Yi didn't look at the scar on Shen Guiwan's palm, but just asked: "Haven't you ever thought of asking him for help?"

"No, he's afraid of trouble." Shen Guiwan slowly closed his outstretched hands, slowly pulled them back against the table, and hid them in the pocket of the down jacket.

Du Zhinian knew everything, but he didn't care about other things except those who came to him on his own initiative, and he didn't even take a second look.

He classified those troubles into the category of "housework". Shen Guiwan always remembered what he said during the cold war with Du Zhinian, and never thought of bothering him with his "housework".

It is a wise choice to sit idly by for things that have nothing to do with you.

Lu Yi guessed that Shen Guiwan and the doctor still had unspeakable twists and turns, and she didn't force herself after being declined, "Forget it, it's fine."

She consciously changed the subject: "When Shen Lu's matter is settled, do you want to leave here?"

leave here?A trace of bewilderment flashed in Shen Guiwan's eyes.

He has been away from society for so long that he can hardly remember what it was like to work part-time to support himself while in college.

Nowadays it is rare to be able to get in touch with the outside world, but it is difficult to even talk to people. Even if he can reintegrate into society in the future, apart from Du Zhinian's apartment, Shen Guiwan can't think of where else he can go.

He has no other place to go, the only place he can go seems to be Du Zhinian's warm apartment.

"Let's wait until that day." Shen Guiwan lowered his head, his voice was so soft that Lu Yi could hardly hear clearly.

The two of them were silent for a while, Lu Yi looked at her fingers with red nail polish, and suddenly said: "Actually, I was the one who was going to marry Yu Minggu back then, but I didn't want to, so I secretly ran to England."

"At that time I knew they would let Xiaoxing marry me instead, I wanted to take her away, but she..." She showed Shen Guiwan a half-crying expression, "She is 12 years younger than Yu Minggu. "

Shen Guiwan's hand shrunk into the down jacket was clenched tightly, his nails pinched the flesh, the piercing pain forced him to let go.

He asked Lu Yi, "Have you looked for her before?"

"I've looked for it." Lu Yi sighed, his brows and eyes were full of tiredness and annoyance.

There were too many things mixed in her sigh, she couldn't find it or was prevented from seeing it, there were all kinds of possibilities, but the ending was the same.

Shen Guiwan didn't ask about Lu Yi's family affairs in detail, he looked down at the time displayed on the phone screen, it was less than half an hour before Du Zhinian got off work.

"I should go, he's coming back." Shen Guiwan stood up and said goodbye to Lu Yi.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Lu Yi belatedly remembered that she hadn't asked his name yet, so she quickly stopped him: "What's your name?"

"Shen Guiwan." Shen Guiwan paused, "Gui Gui, the night of the night."

The corner of Lu Yi's mouth curled into a very shallow smile, "Shen Guiwan, thank you."

Shen Guiwan caressed the USB flash drive in his pocket, digging the edge of the metal interface with his fingertips.

No matter how much Lu Yi questioned and ridiculed her before, she now sincerely thanked herself.

But Shen Guiwan couldn't bear this "thank you".

All he did for Lu Xing was to pass on his guilt over his mother's death to her, and make up for his regret of not being able to protect his mother through this woman who had a similar experience to his mother.

"You're welcome..." Shen Guiwan said stiffly, "You don't need to thank me."

Everything he's doing now is just deceiving his own conscience.

Shen Guiwan returned to the apartment with the USB flash drive Lu Yi gave him, just as he took off his down jacket, Du Zhinian came back right after him.

Du Zhinian looked at him holding the thick down jacket, and asked strangely, "Going out today?"

"Well, I went around downstairs." Shen Guiwan touched the hard object in his pocket through the down jacket, "You came back so early today."

"I have nothing to do, I'll be back first." Du Zhinian put the things in his hand on the dining table, walked up to Shen Guiwan and rubbed his head gently.

The moment Du Zhinian put his hand on his head, Shen Guiwan's shoulders trembled imperceptibly, but he calmed down soon.

"I bought some beef, let's make a stir-fry tonight." Du Zhinian stroked Shen Guiwan's soft black hair, and pressed his cheek against it.

Shen Guiwan didn't say anything, just turned his head so that Du Zhinian could come closer.

"I'm going back to Du's house tomorrow." Du Zhinian closed his eyes, Shen Guiwan's hair was filled with the cold fruity fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose, and he couldn't help but take another deep sniff.

"I can't see you for a few days, so I will cook something I like to eat at night, okay?" He rubbed Shen Guiwan's head, his hands went down from his shoulders to his waist.

Du Zhinian rarely spoke to himself in such a tone, Shen Guiwan could tell that he was not very happy today.

But Shen Guiwan didn't ask, he looked down at the patterns on the wooden floor, hiding all his emotions.

"Okay." Shen Guiwan raised his head and hugged Du Zhinian's shoulder, "I'll do it for you."

Du Zhinian, who was leaning on his head, laughed again after hearing this, and said unseriously: "Shen Guiwan, you have to do both."

Du Zhinian carried Shen Guiwan on his shoulders and strode towards the bedroom, leaving only the down jacket lying on the ground alone.

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Happy winter solstice.