Chapter 133: A Battle Ended in a Single Sentence

Gu Lin certainly did not foolishly go and ask Shen Yanhui for that pot of flowers.

He entrusted someone to get another pot, lied to his father, and said it was the one Gu Yan had brought back.

Gu Fanglin accepted it with satisfaction, not suspecting a thing.

Gu Lin was simply impressed by his own wit and trotted off to Shen Yanhui to claim credit. The other party tossed him a card with a credit limit even higher than the one his father gave him.

Holding the card, he couldn't believe it, which further solidified his decision to hold tight to Shen Yanhui's coattails.

As for Gu Yan, she was busy with the competition while also having to accompany her sister-in-law Su Jin with wedding matters, making it impossible for her to be in two places at once.

However, she was happy to do it and was full of energy every day.

After nearly a month of such busy days, the final results of the painting competition were finally out, and the awards ceremony was set for Friday afternoon.

As a judge, Gu Yan had to sit in the judges' seats below the stage. Shen Yanhui said he wanted to come; she didn't think much of it, just assuming he had nothing better to do.

The awards ceremony was held in the auditorium of the Jingzhou Academy of Fine Arts, and there were many people—students, teachers, and media—sitting in a dense crowd.

Gu Yan sat in the second row, holding the list of winners, preparing to go on stage later to present the awards to the winning students.

Ever since she became a judge, the fact that she was Yan had long ceased to be a secret among the students.

Therefore, as soon as she sat down, hushed discussions broke out all around her.

"Is that Yan? So young?"

"So pretty, even better-looking than in the photos."

"Who is that man next to her? His aura is so strong..."

Shen Yanhui sat beside Gu Yan, his legs crossed casually. A dark gray overcoat made him look cold, aloof, and distinguished, completely out of place with the surrounding students and teachers.

Some girls shrieked in low voices.

"Oh my god, so handsome..."

"Is that Yan's boyfriend?"

"Husband, maybe? Look at that ring."

A few girls huddled together, their gazes scanning back and forth between the two, becoming more excited the more they looked.

Gu Yan was completely unaware, looking down at the list in her hand. Shen Yanhui turned his head and whispered something in her ear. She looked up and curved her lips at him.

Another wave of suppressed shrieks came from behind.

"Oh my god, so sweet..."

"They are such a perfect match!"

Gu Yan hadn't slept well last night.

After a week of continuous judging work, looking at paintings until midnight every day, and being teased by Shen Yanhui for a while this morning, she was exhausted.

Halfway through the ceremony, while the host on stage was still introducing the shortlisted works, she covered her mouth and yawned.

A layer of mist welled up in her eyes, shimmering and bright.

Shen Yanhui reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulder and lowered his head to ask, "Sleepy?"

She nodded and leaned on his shoulder.

The girls around them became excited again, covering their mouths, their eyes shining.

"Look, look..."

"So doting..."

Gu Yan was completely unaware, her voice soft: "Let me lean on you for a while."

"Almost there, just hold on a little longer."

The awards finally began on stage. Gu Yan patted her face to wake herself up and got up to go on stage. She handed the trophies to the winning students and said a few words of encouragement with a smile.

After coming back down, she went soft again.

Shen Yanhui pressed her head to lean on his shoulder and asked, "How much longer?"

The young woman glanced at the schedule: "One more award, then the closing remarks."

He nodded, his hand gently stroking her head.

"Close your eyes and sleep for a bit."

She shook her head: "It's too noisy, I can't sleep."

He didn't speak again, just pulled her closer into his embrace.

The girls behind were already completely obsessed, holding their phones high, but not daring to take pictures openly, so they could only pretend to look elsewhere while their peripheral vision kept darting toward this side.

When the closing remarks were almost over, Gu Yan finally couldn't hold on anymore. She leaned in Shen Yanhui's arms, her breathing gradually becoming steady as she fell asleep.

People in the auditorium walked out one after another, the noisy voices gradually fading away.

A few students passed by, lightened their steps, and whispered.

"She fell asleep..."

"Shh, don't wake her up."

"Yan's handsome husband is so thoughtful, he hasn't moved at all."

Shen Yanhui remained seated, one hand around her shoulder, his posture unchanged.

Jiang Yu came down from the stage and walked toward the judges. His steps paused, his gaze falling on the person leaning on the man's shoulder beside him.

Shen Yanhui looked up and gave him a faint glance, his eyes slightly cold.

A man's intuition is sometimes more accurate than a woman's.

From the first time he met Jiang Yu in Paris, he knew what was hidden in this person's eyes.

He was too familiar with that kind of gaze.

Because that was exactly how he looked at Gu Yan himself.

It was just that he hid it deeper, acted more decisively, and waited longer.

Jiang Yu stood still beside him: "Mr. Shen."

Shen Yanhui nodded slightly, not speaking.

Jiang Yu looked at Gu Yan's sleeping face and was silent for a few seconds. He suddenly spoke, but the content was somewhat nonsensical.

"When she was studying in Paris, there was a period of time when she was crazily obsessed with ceramics."

Shen Yanhui did not speak, just listening.

"She ran to the ceramics studio every day, bought several books, and even signed up for a pottery class. We all said she was going to change careers. As it turned out, three months later, she put all those things away. When asked, she said she had played enough."

Jiang Yu paused, withdrew his gaze, and looked at Shen Yanhui.

"An artist's heart is just like that, unpredictable. She might like this today, and tomorrow she might like that."

The auditorium was very quiet; the setting sun shone obliquely through the high windows, landing on the front row seats and casting long shadows.

Shen Yanhui lowered his head and glanced at the person in his arms.

She was sleeping soundly, her brows relaxed, her lips slightly curled, not knowing what good dream she was having.

He remembered the way she looked when he first saw her.

In the rain in Paris, she was crouching on the side of the street, using a handkerchief to help a stranger bandage a wound. The rain soaked her hair; she looked up at him, her eyes as bright as stars.

At that moment, he truly felt he had seen an angel.

Later, he silently played the role of an observer. He collected her paintings and watched every one of her growth stages, yet never appeared.

He told himself that as long as she took the initiative to walk into his life again, he would not let her leave.

He did not expect that four years later, he would really wait for it.

So, regardless of whether she is unpredictable or fickle, it is impossible to let go.

Shen Yanhui raised his head and met Jiang Yu's gaze.

"So what?"

Jiang Yu was stunned for a moment.

Shen Yanhui curled his lips and continued: "You have been by her side for so many years, yet her affection has never once fallen to you."

Jiang Yu's expression changed instantly.

Shen Yanhui said no more, leaned down, and scooped Gu Yan up horizontally.

She frowned slightly, nuzzled against the man's chest, and fell back into a deep sleep.

Jiang Yu stood where he was, watching those two figures gradually walk away.

He said nothing.

In the corner of the auditorium, a few students who had not yet left huddled in their seats, trying hard to lower their presence.

But their wide-eyed stares betrayed their little thoughts.

"Was that just now... a Shura field?"

"Was Teacher Jiang just instantly defeated by a single sentence from Yan's husband?"

"Oh my god, so handsome, that kind of calm and indifferent handsomeness..."

"..."

Of course, the people involved did not hear a single word of these praises.