CEFYMA: Chapter 118 Part 1

Hillman’s eyes widened as he stood on the steps. He was a bit incredulous and subconsciously wanted to refute it, but was suddenly stunned.

Wagner did say he was married to a woman in China.

That was also the last letter he received from this good friend.

Jaeger Hillman asked hesitantly, “Is your mother Ms You Daijun?”

At this moment, You Mian was also overwhelmed by the intense shock. He had so many questions to ask, but he didn’t know where to start.

You Mian replied, “Yes.”

He knew You Daijun, all her architectural works and travel experiences. He had looked them up many times after returning from Song Zheng’s tombstone.

But You Mian knew very little about his own father.

Everything he thought he would never understand was now within reach.

Ecstasy couldn’t accurately express You Mian’s current mood. It could be said that he was both happy and timid at this moment.

After hearing You Mian’s answer, Hillman’s expression quickly became sad and complicated.

“He had a child and I never knew about it.”

Many years later, Hillman said the same thing as Song Zheng. He said, “Your father was the bravest man I have ever met.”

You Mian instinctively gripped Pei Huaiji’s hand.

Pei Huaiji stood silently beside him, supporting his lover with hot palms.

Seeing that the conversation between the two of them was about to go on endlessly, Marcia couldn’t help being the bad person. She said, “Dean, you are going to be late for the seminar…”

Hillman’s surprised expression paused, and even You Mian was stunned.

Jaeger His came forward and gave You Mian a strong hug. A smile appeared on his serious face. “I have a lot to talk to You Mian about. Please apologize to the seminar for me. I have to miss the appointment.”

You Mian realized that Hillman had freed up time for him, so he couldn’t help whispering, “Dean, maybe we can talk about this later.”

However, Hillman was determined. He immediately asked Marcia to agree on a new time with the seminar.

Outside the glass door of the art center wasn’t a good place to talk. Everyone moved to a cafe next door.

The atmosphere was quiet, and there weren’t many guests,

It wasn’t until he sat down that the timidity in You Mian’s heart was slightly suppressed, and his eyes became firm again.

Hillman stared at You Mian’s eyes for a while. He finally realized that his old friend actually had a child.

In addition, this child had grown up to be so outstanding and excellent.

He must’ve gone through a lot of hardships.

Hillman’s serious expression disappeared. He started to recall all the memories about Wagner in his mind.

You Mian sat by the window and listened to Hillman reminisce about his past with Wagner.

Marcia translated a few sentences from time to time, while Pei Huaiji sat next to You Mian with a gentle look in his eyes.

“We only met in college. He was a real bad boy when he was young.”

The silver-haired Hillman said this as if Wagner was alive today.

He might only be 50 years old, but Hillman’s hair was already completely silver. He looked much older than his peers. His serious eyes were full of wrinkles, and he didn’t seem to smile often.

But at this moment, Hillman’s cold and serious expression completely disappeared, leaving only a bit of joy.

“My father…” You Mian was still a bit stuck when he said this. He asked, “Have you not seen him for a long time? I have very few memories of him, almost nothing. I only know that my parents encountered an accident while surveying Mount Everest, and an uncle surnamed Song brought me back.”

You Mian had no intention of telling Hillman what happened in the You family afterwards. He had already cut off all ties with the past and moved on. There was no need to review these past events again and again.

Hillman lowered his eyes in regret after hearing this. “Yes, after graduation, we didn’t see each other often due to the nature of our work. We always communicated through letters.”

“Your father was a complete romantic. He didn’t use email very often. He communicated with his German friends through letters.”

“The last letter I received was about his marriage. Wagner didn’t like to talk too much about his private affairs, so I only know that his wife’s name is You Daijun, a very beautiful name. I heard she was an architect.”

You Mian smiled, and his brow softened. “Yes, she is my mother.”

Hillman smiled. Then he soon frowned again and said in a much lower voice, “It was more than two years after I received that letter that I received the news of his death.”

The news of the death came a year late.

You Mian pursed his lips and nodded slightly.

He had looked up You Daijun’s life and travels. He knew that his parents spent half their lives exploring all types of exotic landscapes and mountains, lakes and seas. They were true adventurers.

News from friends and relatives, who only communicated through letters, was always delayed.

In subsequent conversations, Hillman deliberately avoided talking about the period after Wagner lost contact. Instead, he picked out some interesting stories that happened to them in college and told You Mian.

It turned out that Wagner was familiar with Shakespeare’s poems and often went to the school garden to read them before dawn. He was also good at making bookmarks with flower and leaf specimens, treasuring each one.

He had a gentle personality and a pair of green eyes that had charmed countless people.

He was romantic and brave by nature. His favorite thing to do was ride a bicycle through the streets of Berlin to explore every unknown point on the map.

It turned out that Wagner was an extremely intelligent person. He got full marks in each subject, easily won a scholarship for the graduation exam where everyone else was complaining, and generously treated his classmates to a big meal.

Hillman said, “He might not be from the art department, but he was always willing to come to our classes. When we were assigned to dormitories, he was assigned to the same dormitory as a group of art students. Perhaps it was fate. He was born a romantic. He liked those bright oil colors and grand narrative descriptions…”

The man paused for a few seconds. He looked up directly at You Mian in front of him. He nodded very seriously and said, “He must like your final work very much today.”

You Mian’s hands, which were holding the coffee cup, suddenly exerted force. His heart was beating a bit faster.

Like this sculpture?

“The towering body exudes a fragile and struggling beauty.” Hillman smiled. “I can guess the tone he would use to express his admiration.”

You Mian waited curiously for what Hillman would say next.

Jaeger Hillman’s features softened a bit as if he was deliberately imitating his old friend’s gentle smile.

“Exquisite creations will give people courage, fearlessness, and a broad mind.”

“It feels as exciting as knowing that I am about to conquer Mount K2. The creator must be a very tenacious person.”

You Mian couldn’t control his eyes from turning red. He held the coffee cup tighter and tighter. This feeling reminded him of how he felt when he stood in front of Song Zheng’s tombstone.

“What an unexpected meeting.” Hillman gave You Mian enough time to sort out his thoughts before saying softly, “I never thought I would be able to talk about Wagner with others again.”

“It is nice to meet you, You Mian.”

You Mian pursed his lips, his voice a bit hoarse. “I’m glad to meet you as well, Dean Hillman.”

Pei Huaiji sat quietly beside You Mian. He gently held You Mian’s hand. The hot temperature that was transmitted made You Mian’s lowered brow relax slightly.

Hillman asked Marcia to hand over his briefcase.

Then he took out a copy of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream from his briefcase.

A German iris bookmark was tucked between the pages of the old book.

The bookmark was magnificent and gorgeous. It still remained fresh after countless years.

It showed the care of the person who made it and the person who preserved it.

You Mian’s eyes widened slightly when he saw Hillman put the book on the table and push it towards him.

“This is the book he reads most often, and it is also an iris bookmark he made himself.”

“There are a lot of these flowers around our school. It is the German iris, perhaps you’ve heard of it,” Hillman said.

Perhaps it was because the scene reminded him of a sentimental book while he was packing his luggage, but Hillman brought the book with him to China before boarding the plane.

Now it seemed that everything was destined.

Hillman never expected that he would meet Wagner’s biological child here. This wonderful encounter made him feel that he must give this book to You Mian.

You Mian took the book but didn’t open it for a long time. His thoughts were complicated and filled with sad nostalgia.

Countless coincidences were perfectly woven into the memories of his parents.

This was his father’s book.

The moment this thought came to mind, You Mian felt a spontaneous sense of steadiness envelop his whole body.

He was intimately connected to the world. His father and mother were traceable. Some people remembered them and missed them.

You Mian’s fingers gently stroked the beautiful bookmark. He stared directly at Him in front of him and thanked him seriously.

Hillman’s gray eyes flashed with determination as he said, “There is no need for thanks. It should be kept by you.”

Hillman told You Mian everything he knew about Wagner’s past, including countless fond memories.

The image of his father in You Mian’s mind gradually became fuller with these words.

It wasn’t until the rescheduled time arrived that Marcia’s hesitant expression let You Mian know that their conversation was coming to an end.

Hillman nodded.

The seminar in Switzerland had been postponed for several hours, and he had to leave now.

Fortunately, Hillman had already told You Mian everything he could say.

Once several people stood up, You Mian swallowed the last question.

He didn’t ask if he had other relatives in the world, because if he did, Hillman would’ve told him during the hours-long conversation.

But the other party didn’t mention it until now, so You Mian had a guess.

He looked down at the book in his arms, his eyes soft as he thought, ‘This is enough, it is enough.’

Before leaving, Hillman looked at the two young men standing side by side in front of him and smiled. He had already seen the relationship between the two of them from Pei Huaiji’s eyes and attitude just now.

You Mian held the book in his arms while Pei Huaiji nodded slightly to Hillman to express his gratitude.

“Thank you for telling us so much,” Pei Huaiji said in a deep voice.

The man stood beside You Mian, his fierce and sturdy figure causing fear.

Hillman waved his hand and smiled. The smile was much more relaxed than before, as if he let go of some burden.

The news of his old friend’s death came so suddenly and without any warning many years ago. Not being able to say goodbye had always been a concern for Hillman.

Now he met You Mian in Huajiang City. After giving him the book, it seemed that he was also saying the farewell that he was unable to say in the beginning.

Hillman’s gray eyes stared back steadily. He thought to himself, ‘Goodbye, my friend.’

Hillman and Marcia said goodbye and got into the car.

It was only when the rear of their car could no longer be seen that You Mian’s shoulders suddenly relaxed.

The carving competition, the press conference, and the in-depth conversation with Hillman kept You Mian quite focused.

Now that everything was over, the long-lost comfort suddenly swept over You Mian. The nerves in his mind, which had been stretched to extreme exhaustion, finally couldn’t hold on. He was easily overcome by sleepiness.

You Mian only knew that before he fell asleep, he was sitting in the back seat of the car. He leaned against Pei Huaiji and let the man’s cold breath linger around him.

The last picture he saw before closing his eyes was Pei Huaiji’s calm, restrained and handsome profile.

You Mian still wasn’t fully awake when he woke up again. In his dazed state, he could only hear the sound of Pei Huaiji typing on the computer beside him.

The soft touch under him made him realize that he wasn’t in the car.

The curtains were half-drawn and the sunlight shone through the window. The chill of winter was gone. It seemed like spring was really coming.

There were piles of documents on the desk in the gray-black bedroom. You Mian saw his coat hanging in the closet.

This was… Pei Huaiji’s bedroom.

You Mian lay on his side on the soft pillow, his cheeks slightly concave in a lovely arc due to the pressure.

The chestnut brown curls swept across his eyebrows and the young man subconsciously shrank into the quilt, burying himself up to his chin.

He opened his eyes and quietly looked at the person sitting next to him.

Pei Huaiji was leaning against the headboard of the bed with his laptop on his knees. The man’s profile was still stern, and his sharp eyes held a domineering look. This was the oppressive aura he most often displayed when he was working.

The handsome and deep facial features in the hazy sunlight made You Mian look particularly warm.

Now that the dust had settled, You Mian started to look at the lover beside him with wanton eyes.

The small and slight movement caught Pei Huaiji’s attention almost instantly.

The man in a black shirt, who was sitting at the head of the bed, immediately put down his work and leaned over.

“Are you awake?” Pei Huaiji’s voice was low and magnetic. You Mian’s ears turned red.

This was Pei Huaiji’s single-family apartment. You Mian came here several times after the show ended, but he never spent the night here.

This time, he fell asleep in the car due to excessive fatigue. Unexpectedly, he fell asleep in Pei Huaiji’s bedroom by accident.

You Mian withdrew his gaze in a panic. He lowered his eyes and hummed softly.

Fortunately, Pei Huaiji didn’t seem to catch his secret observation just now.

Pei Huaiji stroked You Mian’s head with his big hand, and his movements were extremely gentle. He said softly, “The kitchen made breakfast. Would you like to have some?”

You Mian blinked and nodded.

Pei Huaiji stood up and left when he saw this. On the bedside table in the gray bedroom was a copy of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream’ in English and the gold trophy of the Star Cup.

You Mian noticed it as he turned sideways.

His clothes were changed into clean pajamas. It seemed that Pei Huaiji had been taking care of him since yesterday.

A belated feeling of shame welled up in You Mian’s heart. He suppressed his desire to continue sleeping, got up, and went to the bathroom to tidy up.

After sleeping for more than ten hours, all the fatigue in You Mian’s body was swept away.

He walked into the bathroom and easily found the toiletries that Pei Huaiji had prepared for him.

Two wash cups, two electric toothbrushes, and two towels were neatly placed together.

You Mian suddenly remembered a coat that belonged to him that he had just seen in the closet.

The objects of life in which they were entangled seemed to be growing in number.

The young man in the mirror had cold water dripping from his hair, and the sharpness in his amber eyes became incredibly gentle. You Mian found that he had always been subconsciously smiling.

His expression had never been so happy.

All things came to an end one by one. You Mian felt unprecedented peace and stability.

The love for Pei Huaiji in his heart was released without hindrance.

Every time they stood side by side, every time they confided in each other, and every time they stepped over thorns together, it all turned into a deep love so strong that it couldn’t be described in words.

White Lily

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