Self-Perception - Chapter 31

The farmhouse resort was located in a small town, walking straight down along the stone and mud road led directly to Li Family Village. Wen Jinyan and Su Muqing pushed their suitcases toward the resort. A woman at the front desk greeted them with a beaming smile.

“Welcome.”

“Hello, we’d like two single rooms, please.” Su Muqing handed their ID cards to the woman.

“Alright.” The woman took them, processed the check-in, and handed back the IDs along with the room keys.

Wen Jinyan stared at the hand reaching out, there was a scar on the index finger that extended to the second knuckle.

“Excuse me, do you know Li Fei?” Wen Jinyan retracted her gaze and asked.

The woman paused, looking a bit puzzled. “I am Li Fei. And you are…?”

“We’re friends of Zhang Wen. We heard her mention this place, and since it’s the National Day holiday, we thought we’d come here to relax.”

Su Muqing replied with a smile.

Hearing that they were Zhang Wen’s friends, Li Fei’s face broke into a relaxed grin. “Oh, A-Wen’s friends! I hope you have a wonderful stay.”

A-Wen…

The two exchanged a look and then subtly looked away.

Their relationship was still very good.

“Did she mention anything to you about coming back recently?” Wen Jinyan asked proactively.

“Huh? Is A-Wen… coming back this time?” Li Fei took out her phone and scrolled through WeChat. Finding no messages from Zhang Wen, she murmured softly, “She didn’t message me.”

Wen Jinyan tucked one hand into her pocket while holding her suitcase with the other, following up smoothly: “Maybe she wants to give you a surprise.”

Once they were further away, Su Muqing nudged Wen Jinyan with her elbow. “Zhang Wen didn’t tell Li Fei she was coming, does that mean she has a guilty conscience? And why were you staring at her hand earlier?”

“I’m not sure if it’s a guilty conscience, but she definitely doesn’t want Li Fei to know about the things she’s done.” Their rooms were on the second floor. The resort had no elevator, only a winding wooden staircase wide enough for two people. Someone happened to be coming down, so Wen Jinyan stepped back to let Su Muqing lead the way.

Once the person passed, she walked alongside her again.

Wen Jinyan: “Did you see the scar on Li Fei’s hand?”

Su Muqing: “Eh? I didn’t notice.”

“That’s a sickle cut, at least four centimeters long.”

Su Muqing slowed her pace to listen. Wen Jinyan continued, “Her hands are very rough, she must have done farm work since she was a child. I find it hard to believe that someone who grew up working the land like that would be involved in that incident.”

“You mean… she might be completely in the dark about it?”

“Not certain.” Wen Jinyan reached her door and took out her key. She turned to Su Muqing next to her. “However, we’ll see Zhang Wen later tonight.”

They could talk to her then.

Wen Jinyan hung her clothes in the wardrobe and finished unpacking. She opened the wooden window; not far away was a gurgling stream and golden ginkgo trees that glowed like fire in the sunset.

The bed was wooden, but surprisingly comfortable. The host had likely used a thick mattress. Unlike city beds, this one carried a unique, refreshing woody scent.

By the time she finished tidying up, Wen Jinyan had worked up a light sweat. She messaged Su Muqing on WeChat to see if she was done; Su Muqing replied instantly.

They went downstairs and asked Li Fei for recommendations. Li Fei suggested a few dishes, and they ordered. While waiting, they sat on wooden chairs. Wen Jinyan poured water for herself and Su Muqing. When Li Fei placed the bowls and chopsticks before them, Wen Jinyan noticed they were still warm to the touch.

They had already been scalded clean.

As they ate, Li Fei came over to clear the table. Su Muqing took the opportunity to ask, “Are there any fun spots or scenic views around here?”

Li Fei gathered the dishes into a bucket. “The plums in Li Family Village are delicious. There’s also a natural hot spring in the countryside that a boss leased a few years ago. It’s not very famous yet, so there aren’t many people, you should try it. Also, there are fireflies around the big banyan tree in the village at night, it’s very beautiful.”

She spoke with earnest dedication, as if trying her best to promote her hometown.

“Great, we’ll check it out tomorrow,” Su Muqing replied.

As they spoke, the main door opened.

Li Fei, Wen Jinyan, Su Muqing, Zhang Wen

The group stood face to face. Li Fei broke the silence first. “A-Wen, you’re back!” Unaware of the shifting expressions of the other three, she ran to Zhang Wen’s side. Zhang Wen caught her.

“Did you introduce your friends to come here?” Li Fei shook her hand playfully, the simple face of the young woman losing its professional reserve, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

Zhang Wen glanced at Wen Jinyan and the others, then nodded with a smile. “Yes.” She reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Li Fei’s ear.

“We’ll leave you to chat, then. We’re heading upstairs,” Wen Jinyan said calmly, giving Zhang Wen a brief look before heading up with Su Muqing.

Zhang Wen let out a breath, her hand tightening. She leaned down to pick up the bucket of dishes. Li Fei asked beside her, “A-Wen, why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?”

“I wanted to give you a surprise.” Zhang Wen reached out to touch the tip of Li Fei’s nose but remembered she was covered in dust from her journey. She withdrew her hand and laughed. “I guess the surprise is ruined now.”

Li Fei helped her carry the bucket. “It’s not. I’m so happy you’re back. I haven’t seen you in a month. I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.”

After Wen Jinyan showered, the wind in the town picked up, rattling the windows. She threw on a cardigan and paced to the window. The darkness stretched to the horizon, dotted with stars. If the wind weren’t so biting, she would have liked to lean on the sill to watch the stars and listen to the autumn cicadas.

You couldn’t see this many stars in the city.

She closed the window and checked her phone. Gu Wansheng still hadn’t messaged her.

Is she busy?

Wen Jinyan tapped out a message.

[Wen Jinyan]: Gu Wansheng, have you eaten?

She stared at the interface. Five minutes passed with no reply, but then came a knock at the door.

Zhang Wen stood at the threshold. “Can we talk?”

“Come in.” Wen Jinyan turned and sat at the wooden table.

Zhang Wen stood to the side, rubbing her fingers together, though her gaze did not waver. “You sent that message? Why are you here? What do you want?”

Wen Jinyan glanced at her, poured a cup of water for herself, and then one for Zhang Wen. “Eight years ago, you were at a cast dinner in a five star hotel. On your way out, you accidentally saw the then famous editor Xiao She and the starlet Bo Shan talking. You followed them and overheard their secrets.”

Wen Jinyan paused, watching Zhang Wen’s reaction out of the corner of her eye. Zhang Wen swallowed hard and retorted, “What are you talking about? I don’t know.”

“They saw you. To prevent exposure, they offered you a ‘piece of cake’ you couldn’t refuse.” The water glass made a soft thud on the wooden table. It wasn’t loud, but Zhang Wen heard it clearly. Her heart raced, and panic flickered across her face. “Who exactly are you?”

“Who?” Wen Jinyan picked up her glass again, took a sip, and ran her finger around the rim in a circular motion.

“Make a deal with me.”

Zhang Wen: “You…”

Wen Jinyan: “If you want a beautiful future with Li Fei.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“You didn’t step forward eight years ago. Do you really think there are walls that don’t leak? Or do I need to show you the surveillance footage from eight years ago?” Her voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable pressure.

“I’m not negotiating with you. I am giving you a choice, a better choice.”

Zhang Wen clenched her fists, her eyelids drooping. “Why would you help me?”

“No comment.”

Su Muqing opened the door to Wen Jinyan’s room. Wen Jinyan was still sitting at the table. Su Muqing closed the door behind her.

“Zhang Wen just came to see me,” Wen Jinyan initiated.

“Did she figure out who you are?”

“Not sure.”

Su Muqing poured herself a glass of water. “What does that mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like,” Wen Jinyan said. “I offered her a deal.”

“You’re going to let her off?” Su Muqing stopped drinking.

Wen Jinyan: “We haven’t been able to gather any new info on Xiao She for a long time, he must be suspicious. Instead of waiting for him to destroy the evidence while we sit idle, it’s better to infiltrate from the inside. Zhang Wen isn’t deeply involved, but she is a witness.”

“Besides, the fact that she came to me means she already has an answer in her heart.”

“You’ve thought it through as always.” Su Muqing finished her water and set the glass down. “So, is our mission accomplished?”

Wen Jinyan: “Wait a bit. I told her I’d give her three days to consider. In the meantime, we can enjoy ourselves here. You should relax too.”

Su Muqing: “Alright, I’ll head out then.”

Once Su Muqing left, Wen Jinyan checked her phone again. Still no message. She tapped the edge of the phone, feeling a strange sense of disappointment.

Still busy?

Meanwhile, at the airport, a woman wearing a hat was followed by a woman half a head shorter who was lugging two suitcases.

The woman in the hat looked exhausted, her voice raspy. “Give me my phone.”

Meng Qiu quickly handed it over. “Here, Sister Gu.”

Gu Wansheng took it, pulled one of the suitcases toward herself, and unlocked the phone with one hand to check her messages.

Wen Jinyan’s chat was pinned at the top. She saw the message immediately and noticed it was from a few hours ago.

She replied: [I haven’t eaten yet (PityCat.jpg)] followed by an explanation: [Just got off the plane, didn’t have time.]

The moment she sent it, the status changed to “The other party is typing…”

Was she waiting for a reply, or did she just happen to see it?

[Wen Jinyan]: Are you off to film again?

The corners of Gu Wansheng’s mouth curled up. Wen Jinyan seemed different than before. The old Wen Jinyan wouldn’t have asked follow-up questions, her greetings only happened if Gu started them, and the responses were always “Mn,” “Okay,” “Understood,” or “You too,” before the conversation died.

But now, was Wen Jinyan guarding her phone, waiting for her message just to show concern?

Whether real or not, Gu Wansheng was very happy.

[Gu Wansheng]: No, I’m going to the countryside to help promote agricultural products.

A village director had been sending private messages to her work account for months, sending photos of the village’s plum harvest, hoping she could help save them.

She saw it, so she came.