Chapter 12

At first, Lan Suzhi had only intended to show this to Shu Shiyun, but upon seeing his stepson in such a pitiful state—completely hopeless and showing no respect even to his own father—his anger flared uncontrollably. He swung the wooden stick down once more.

“How many times have I told you! Stop doing these foolish things all day. But you? You don’t use your brain at all. Shiyun has been devoted to you for so many years, giving you everything you wanted, and this is how you repay him! Do you know what people outside are saying about you? You’re truly embarrassing the Lan family!”

Lan Xuan was beaten to the ground, utterly disgraceful. He tried to speak, but the pain in his injury left him only able to grimace fiercely.

“That’s enough, enough!” Tang Yitong had been holding back, but after Lan Xuan was hit in the calf and let out a sharp cry, she could no longer contain herself. “That’s about enough—you’re really going to kill him!”

Though Lan Suzhi’s anger had yet to subside, he gradually regained some composure. He pointed fiercely at Lan Xuan, who was curled up on the ground clutching his calf. “I’m giving you one more chance. Apologize to Shiyun! Promise you won’t make the same mistake again.”

Lan Xuan hardly cared anymore. The stabbing pain in his leg felt as if the bone was broken.

“I… I’m sorry. I definitely won’t do it again.”

Tang Yitong knelt beside him, holding him with concern, then looked up at Shu Shiyun. “Shiyun, Lan Xuan knows he was wrong. Please don’t be angry about this anymore. From now on, your father and I will make sure to educate him properly, okay?”

Shu Shiyun, having enjoyed the spectacle, brought the glass of milk to his lips and took a sip. Hearing her words, he smiled lightly. “Aunt Tang, that’s not true at all. I have never been angry with Lan Xuan.”

“…”

Tang Yitong didn’t dare to say more, fearing Lan Suzhi might lose control again. She hurriedly helped Lan Xuan up. “We should leave now. I need to take him to the hospital for a checkup. After he recovers, I’ll make sure he gives you a proper apology.”

Watching them leave, Shu Shiyun could still faintly hear Lan Xuan’s wails from a distance as he got into the car.

“My leg feels like it’s broken, it hurts, it hurts…”

Lan Suzhi, panting, put the broom back in its place. He glanced at Tang Yitong, who was urging him to leave, and spoke anxiously, “Shiyun, you’re not angry anymore, right?”

Shu Shiyun pursed his lips with a faint smile that held just the right touch of melancholy. “Don’t worry, I’m used to it by now. You have a new family now, so it’s only natural to care for them more. Actually, today’s scene was unnecessary; Aunt Tang might hold a grudge against you after this.”

The words were somewhat cutting. Lan Suzhi’s face showed a trace of guilt before hardening into coldness. “Lan Xuan is not truly our blood, and I don’t even know whose side he’s really on. He’s been spoiled by your Aunt Tang, and I’ll have to discipline him seriously from now on.”

Shu Shiyun didn’t intervene in this matter. He knew Lan Suzhi was only putting on a show. Though he spoke with such certainty now, once they returned home and Lan Xuan softened his attitude, things might not turn out as expected.

Lan Suzhi sighed. “It’s my fault for not taking good care of you. By the way, how’s the financial situation you mentioned before? I still have some money—not much, but enough to tide you over.”

Shu Shiyun didn’t want to discuss it now, so he answered vaguely, “It’s the same as before. You should take Lan Xuan to the hospital first; I’ll explain everything to you later.”

“All right.”

Lan Xuan continued to complain in the car. Knowing the urgency, Lan Suzhi didn’t linger and quickly left.

Watching Lan Suzhi get into the car and speed away, Shu Shiyun snorted coldly. He instructed the housekeeper to mop the floor at the entrance, then turned and went upstairs.

—

In the hospital ward, Lan Xuan’s leg was wrapped in a cast, yet his face remained full of anger.

“Mom, do you think he regrets it? He promised us so much before, but now he beats me just because of something Shiyun said!”

Tang Yitong sat beside him, offering repeated comfort. “No, no. Your father and I had already discussed this, and he would never soften toward Shiyun. Haven’t you forgotten how he was born?”

Her words gradually calmed Lan Xuan and made things clearer to him.

He knew Lan Suzhi’s first marriage was a matrilocal one. Back then, Lan Suzhi had started from nothing, struggling to keep his company afloat until he managed to latch onto the Shu family’s influence.

Once his business stabilized, he found excuses to divorce and never truly cared for Shu Shiyun. After all, his own son bore the mother’s surname, which was a great shame in Lan Xuan’s eyes. So he understood perfectly well.

“My own biological son doesn’t even carry my name and was taken to be raised by another family. If it were me, I’d avoid him too,” Lan Xuan sneered. “I really envy Shiyun. Why was he born into such good circumstances? His mother’s family is wealthy, yet they won’t help us. They’re so stingy!”

Tang Yitong’s expression grew subtle. Before she married Lan Suzhi, Lan Xuan had carried her surname. Was Lan Xuan now ashamed of living with her back then?

But this wasn’t the time to dwell on that. She anxiously glanced toward the ward door to ensure no one overheard, then whispered, “Don’t let others hear you say that. Shiyun isn’t stupid, and he’s always leaned toward the Shu family. If things really come to a head, we’ll lose everything. Understand?”

Lan Xuan, impatient, wanted to call her cowardly but stopped himself, thinking about the plan he had been plotting for some time and was now putting into action. He couldn’t help but feel hopeful.

“Don’t be so cautious. You think he’s so high and mighty, but behind the scenes, he’s probably trying to curry favor with the rich. You don’t understand. Didn’t he say he was having financial trouble? He must be seeking help outside. Who knows how Shu’s family treats him? Otherwise, why would he ignore such a huge inheritance and try to be self-reliant?”

Lan Xuan believed his plan was foolproof and didn’t intend to waste more breath on it. “Anyway, you don’t need to worry. If the news leaks, someone won’t let him off. He just made a small brand and dares to associate with big shots for hype. I want to make him suffer a little. How else can I bear this?”

He almost ground his teeth saying the last sentence. Tang Yitong looked at his leg, pitying him. “Don’t think about anything else now. Just rest well.”

“That won’t do.” Lan Xuan looked toward the door and lowered his voice. “I’ve suffered so much this time. Lan Suzhi has to compensate me.”

Tang Yitong sighed, “All right, all right. Mom will definitely stand up for you. Later, I’ll have your father get you a new position, and your allowance will double. How’s that?”

Satisfied with her promise, Lan Xuan finally relaxed, picking up his phone to check the video he had sent out through his contacts and smiled with approval.

But the buzz wasn’t high enough yet. He needed to fan the flames.

—

When Fang Jiahua asked Shu Shiyun for Shang Cheng’s name for the third time, Shu Shiyun finally asked, “Why are you so interested in him?”

Fang Jiahua’s eyes twinkled as she put away the necklaces she had been trying on. “Because Mr. Shang is very handsome! I’ve watched his interview video five times already, didn’t understand a single word, but I couldn’t take my eyes off his face.”

Knowing she was a beauty enthusiast, Shu Shiyun couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought you actually knew him.”

“No way!” Fang Jiahua finished tidying up and sat beside him to help pick out clothes. “But… boss, what’s your relationship with Mr. Shang now? Last time he even gave you a ride home. I keep seeing you two chatting. Is it…?”

Shu Shiyun paused, then said seriously, “We’re dating.”

He said it clearly, word by word, but Fang Jiahua was stunned.

“Huh?”

Shu Shiyun frowned. “Doesn’t it seem like it?”

“No, no,” Fang Jiahua waved her hand awkwardly. “I just can’t imagine what you two would be like together. Wouldn’t it be awkward all the time?”

Shu Shiyun was puzzled.

Luckily, Fang Jiahua explained generously, “Because, boss, you come off as very cold. Sometimes you don’t speak much in meetings, making everyone think you’re angry. And Mr. Shang seems like that cool, aloof type—like the icy CEO characters in TV dramas.”

Her words distracted Shu Shiyun enough that he briefly imagined it, but it didn’t seem as extreme as she described.

“Do I really seem unapproachable?”

There was a square rotating mirror on the table. Shu Shiyun straightened slightly to see his reflection clearly: fair skin, rosy complexion, well-defined features, clear eyes—he looked perfectly normal.

Fang Jiahua’s face showed concern. “It’s not that exactly. It’s just that your aura is too cold, so people can’t imagine you being in a relationship. It feels kind of abrupt.”

Her cheeks flushed slightly, as if embarrassed.

Shu Shiyun hadn’t expected that reason. After listening, he was silent for a long moment before feeling his own face warm.

He seemed to understand what Fang Jiahua meant.

But this was his and Shang Cheng’s private matter. Even if he wanted to explain, upon reflection, he decided not to say more.

Amid the busyness, he glanced at his silent phone, and Fang Jiahua’s words kept echoing in his mind.

Shang Cheng… When he first saw him on the news, Shu Shiyun thought him a hypocritical scoundrel beneath the polished exterior. But now, without those tinted lenses, he found Shang Cheng somewhat normal.

Cold? Maybe a little. Perhaps because of his position, he had to maintain authority and because, as chairman of Chengjia Group, every word and deed affected the company’s image. Shu Shiyun understood all that.

As for dating, Shang Cheng just needed not to be so distant in front of him.

What about Shu Shiyun himself? He must be quite enthusiastic toward Shang Cheng—he was the one who had kissed Shang Cheng that day.

He vaguely felt the warmth left by the imprint on his forehead.

[Hey, hey, what are you thinking about?]

[Where’s the promised lottery? Yunbao, what are you daydreaming about?]

[I think I smell the sour stench of love.]

[Got it, thinking about your girlfriend.]

Snapping back to reality upon seeing the barrage, Shu Shiyun cleared his throat and steered the conversation back.

“Let’s start the lottery now.”

Though a small episode, many fans bombarded the live stream with questions for the next hour, making him blush.

But what caught his attention most were the lurkers asking about the video’s authenticity—mostly with ill intentions. He ignored them all, letting the moderators mute and ban the accounts.

Calculating the flight time, he planned to pack up and go pick someone up after the broadcast. His uncle had finally returned, and he had to make the trip.

Fang Jiahua was staying at his villa today to rest and would accompany him tomorrow for a business meeting.

As he reached to grip the steering wheel to drive out, gruesome and bloody images flashed through his mind, accompanied by sharp, screeching brake sounds that made him break out in a cold sweat.

Despite mentally preparing himself, he couldn’t drive smoothly.

Shu Shiyun relaxed his grip slightly, leaning forward to press his forehead against the cold steering wheel. Taking several deep breaths to calm himself, he lifted his head again, his eyes still a little red.