After the seventh-day memorial, Yu Wenli and Wen Tingxue packed their belongings, preparing to return to the imperial capital.
The day before their departure, Yu Wenli personally took the death certificate, ID card, and household registration book to handle the cancellation of his grandfather's registration.
When he received the ID card with a clipped corner, Yu Wenli was silent for a long time.
Back in the car, he suddenly leaned over and hugged Wen Tingxue, whispering, "I don't have a grandfather anymore."
Wen Tingxue hugged him back and said, "As long as you keep him in your heart, Grandpa will always be with you."
More frightening than death is forgetting.
So, as long as they remembered Grandpa, Grandpa would always exist.
Yu Wenli nodded. "That's right."
In the evening.
Wen Tingxue finished packing and sent Yu Wenli a message, which he didn't reply to for half an hour.
She went to the Yu family to find him.
She learned he was in the study on the third floor practicing calligraphy.
When she pushed the door open, he was lying asleep on the sofa, a book covering his face.
It was the Tao Te Ching, a book his grandfather often read.
On the desk were also calligraphy practice sheets of the Tao Te Ching that he had copied.
Black characters on white paper, flowing like dragons.
Grand and vigorous.
The only imperfection was that a few characters were slightly blurred.
As if smudged by water.
Water?
Wen Tingxue frowned and scanned the room, finding no water cup on the desk.
She leaned closer to the calligraphy sheets and confirmed her suspicion.
It wasn't water; it was tears.
Wen Tingxue stood up straight and quietly gazed at the young man on the sofa, who was not sleeping peacefully.
From the doctor's confirmation of death, to the funeral, and then the seventh-day memorial.
He had not truly accepted his grandfather's departure.
It wasn't until he personally canceled his grandfather's household registration that he finally returned to reality.
*Snap—*
The book fell to the floor.
Yu Wenli woke up from his dream, his expression heavy and lost.
"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
Wen Tingxue quickly went over and instinctively touched his forehead with the back of her hand.
Unexpectedly, he pulled her directly into his arms.
The grip was strong, holding her tightly. His breathing was chaotic and heavy.
It was a rare display of helplessness.
Wen Tingxue stroked his back, softening her voice. "It's okay, it's all fake. I'm here."
After a long while, he finally let out a "Hmm" and said, "I dreamt of Grandpa and Grandma, Grandpa and Grandma, they came to see me, but then they disappeared in a blink of an eye. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find them..."
His tone was calm, but Wen Tingxue could still hear a hint of grievance.
"Be good, dreams are the opposite. They are all watching you from heaven. They won't abandon you," Wen Tingxue coaxed him.
He nodded, resting his chin on her shoulder, the friction tickling slightly.
"When did you get here?"
Yu Wenli quickly regained his composure and asked her in a hoarse voice.
Wen Tingxue said, "Brother Que You couldn't reach you, so he called me and asked me to tell you to fly directly to Song City tomorrow."
Yu Wenli helped her sit up and gave a faint "Mm."
His expression, however, showed some resistance.
Wen Tingxue asked him, "Is something wrong?"
The entertainment industry changes rapidly.
He had been away for more than three months, and the projects and resources originally planned for him had been divided.
It wouldn't be easy to return now.
"It's nothing."
Yu Wenli suppressed the urge to smoke, a smile tugging at his lips. He deflected the question, saying, "That boss in Song City is a bit annoying, but I can handle it."
"Do you want me to talk to Fourth Brother?" Wen Tingxue said, still worried.
Yu Wenli shook his head. "No need."
The Han family's influence in the entertainment industry was mainly concentrated in film and television, not in the music scene.
Of course, no one dared to disregard Han Xianyun's authority.
But he didn't want to rely on anyone.
"Alright then," Wen Tingxue didn't insist. "Have you packed your luggage? I'll take it with me tomorrow."
She still had to return to the imperial capital.
Yu Wenli rubbed his temples. "I'll pack it later."
Seeing how tired he was, Wen Tingxue stood up and said, "Let me help you pack. You go take a shower."
Just as she was about to turn, Yu Wenli grasped her wrist.
Yu Wenli didn't do anything else; he just held Wen Tingxue and slept for the entire night.
It was the most peaceful night he had slept in days.
His spirits had improved considerably, and when Que You saw him, he immediately lowered his sunglasses. "Yo! So you've recovered?"
Yu Wenli shot him a sideways glance. "Cut the crap. What's the schedule for today?"
Que You immediately entered work mode. "At ten o'clock, first, you'll meet the chief producer of 'Ink City.' Whether you can get the theme song depends on the producer's attitude. As far as I know, Mo Yichen is also in contact with this project."
'Ink City' is a film supervised by Xu Shoucheng and directed by Tao Jin.
A top-tier team, top-tier investment.
Many people in the industry predicted it would be a hit.
If he could hitch a ride on this bandwagon, Yu Wenli's return would definitely be smooth.
"Anything else?"
"..."
Que You glanced at him cautiously and said, "Tonight, Mr. Qi from Song City wants to invite you for dinner."
Yu Wenli frowned.
Before he could refuse, Que You jumped in, "He invested in 'Ink City.' You have to give him some face, right?"
Yu Wenli clicked his tongue irritably. "Let's see how the producer's attitude is first."
Que You quickly said, "The producer has a very good impression of you. Han Xianyun also put in a word beforehand, and the director is Xu Shoucheng's apprentice. With the favor of 'Sister-in-law,' the theme song will definitely be yours."
Yu Wenli gave him a cool look. "So, I must go tonight, is that it?"
Que You grinned sheepishly. "I know that Mr. Qi is annoying, but his influence in the music industry is this big!"
He gave a thumbs-up.
"If you build a good relationship with him, will you still worry about not having resources in the future?"
Yu Wenli's brow twitched, and Que You understood immediately. "I know your values don't align with his, but so what? You're not marrying him. It's just about making money. Why fuss so much?"
"...Fine."
No matter how much he disliked banquets, sometimes he had no choice but to attend.
Because he currently did not have the power to say 'no.'
-
Eight o'clock in the evening.
Yu Wenli arrived at Mr. Qi's banquet as scheduled.
There weren't many people.
But most of them were insiders.
And they were insiders with considerable power.
Mr. Qi smiled and introduced Yu Wenli to everyone.
Seeing that he liked Yu Wenli, the others naturally chimed in.
After a few rounds of drinks, Mr. Qi gave his assistant a look.
The assistant opened the door and went out.
Before long, a waiter brought a bottle of wine.
Mr. Qi smiled and said, "Alright, alright. I have an important collaboration to discuss with my idol today, so I won't waste any more time with you all. Let's have a final toast."
He raised his glass and drank it down in one gulp.
Yu Wenli had no choice but to follow suit.
By the time he realized something was wrong, he was already in the car.
It was Mr. Qi's car.