Chapter 13

In the end, he still called the driver to take the wheel. Shushi Yun leaned back against the headrest in the back seat, his eyes brightened by the passing scenery outside the window, yet a dull ache lingered deep within his heart.

Since returning, he had always believed he was the one playing the Lan family like a fiddle. But the shadows cast by those unforeseen events weighed heavier than he had anticipated, stirring a profound self-loathing.

Why did he feel fear?

This time, he was fully aware of everything. He wouldn’t fall into any traps again, nor would he allow his mother or Shang Cheng to suffer any accidents. Yet, why was the unease still so persistent?

His eyes grew increasingly stinging, enveloped by an intense anxiety. He looked toward the driver he trusted, but still felt a gnawing dread, as if the smoothly running car might suddenly lose control the next moment, repeating the tragic mistakes of his previous life.

The lingering aftereffects of the past life seemed slow to reach him, but now that they had, they filled him with apprehension, driving him to seek some kind of psychological comfort.

He instinctively gripped his phone and opened the message window, sending a text to a certain encrypted number at the bottom of the list.

“Any progress?”

The reply was swift, as if well prepared.

“Lan Suzi purchased several properties in Chengyuan, all registered under Lan Muxian’s name. The company is currently operating smoothly, though the account balance is not large. Also, Lan Suzi’s assistant has recently been secretly in contact with some dangerous individuals from the underworld. I will compile the details and send them to you.”

Shushi Yun’s gaze lingered on the last sentence, and a surge of bitter irony rose within him, causing an involuntary snicker.

They were guarding against him asking for money again.

According to the timeline of his previous life, Lan Suzi would make his move against him about a year later. Initially, he thought it was a sudden impulse, but it turned out the planning had started much earlier. Indeed, it was cautious—demonstrating a determined resolve to bring about his downfall. But… where did Lan Suzi’s deep-seated hatred for him originate?

With a chime, the dimmed screen lit up again.

Thinking it was another message, Shushi Yun glanced at the popup—it was a WeChat notification.

Shang Cheng: “Still busy?”

He paused, the tight knot of anxiety slowly unwinding. A faint smile curled at the corner of Shushi Yun’s lips. Not wanting to worry him, he simply sent back a nod emoji.

“No work for long today. I have something important to attend to tomorrow morning, so I’m planning to rest early. How about you?”

The other side quickly showed “typing,” but no new message came for a long time.

Just as he was about to ask if Shang Cheng was still working late, the car pulled up at the airport entrance. Checking the time, Shushi Yun turned off his phone, pushed open the door, and quickly entered the hall.

His timing was perfect. A glance toward the arrivals area and he saw a tall man in a light windbreaker pushing a suitcase through the doors.

“Uncle!” Shushi Yun’s eyes lit up, waving eagerly.

Shu Yanshen’s gaze caught sight of him, but he gave no reaction, his expression as cold and indifferent as ever.

Shushi Yun didn’t mind and ran ahead to the exit. When Shu Yanshen reached him, Shushi Yun solemnly said, “Uncle, welcome back to the country. I’ve missed you so much.”

Without waiting to see Shu Yanshen’s expression, he opened his arms warmly and embraced him.

Both uncle and nephew were striking in appearance. Shushi Yun stood at a slender 1.8 meters, while Shu Yanshen was half a head taller, his aura imposing and stern, drawing many curious glances.

Shu Yanshen’s body stiffened noticeably. After a moment, he merely placed his hand on Shushi Yun’s shoulder, lightly patted twice, and then pushed him away by the shoulders with a smooth motion.

“What’s this behavior?”

Shushi Yun paid no heed to the feigned disdain and took the suitcase from him.

“Uncle, why don’t you stay at my place while you’re here? Everything’s close by. I’ll cook for you.”

Hearing this, Shu Yanshen furrowed his brow.

“You can cook?”

Shushi Yun met his probing gaze and felt a bit guilty, mumbling softly, “Just some simple dishes.”

Though Shu Yanshen’s attitude was far from warm, Shushi Yun was undeterred by his coldness. Walking shoulder to shoulder with him, he listed off the dishes he could prepare. At first, he thought Shu Yanshen feared he might cook some disastrous meal, but the more he spoke, the more Shu Yanshen’s frown deepened.

Confused, before he could ask, Shu Yanshen coldly remarked, “Can’t you afford a housekeeper?”

“Huh? I already have one.” This time, Shushi Yun was silent.

For a long moment, he couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind Shu Yanshen’s words but sensed his eccentric uncle was in a foul mood.

The driver circled back to the parking lot and opened the car door. Shushi Yun handed over the suitcase, then got into the back seat with his uncle, still puzzled.

The car was quiet. After some thought, Shushi Yun decided to break the silence.

“How’s Mom lately?”

Shu Yanshen took off his jacket, revealing a plain round-neck T-shirt beneath. A faint weariness lingered in his brows.

“She’s well.”

“Oh.” Shushi Yun felt the answer was perfunctory and shifted the topic to him.

“Is there something urgent that brought you back this time?”

Shu Yanshen only replied with a grunt, still aloof.

Frustrated and somewhat disheartened, Shushi Yun glanced at Shu Yanshen and recalled the previous life when, at his uncle’s grave, his eyes were reddened.

Softening, Shushi Yun turned to him and hesitated before sharing, “Uncle, did Mom tell you that I’m dating someone?”

Shu Yanshen was just opening a bottle of mineral water from a small fridge. Upon hearing this, his movement froze momentarily, the bottle creaking under pressure.

Within a second, he opened the cap, his tone indifferent.

“I heard.”

Relieved, Shushi Yun hadn’t planned to elaborate, but Shu Yanshen lifted his head, took several sips, and then unexpectedly asked, “Who is it?”

His eyes brightened slightly. Shushi Yun replied, “His name’s Shang Cheng. He’s the chairman of Chengjia Group. We haven’t been together long.”

Shu Yanshen’s expression remained unreadable, as if pondering something.

“He pursued you, and you agreed?”

The tone was perilous. Shushi Yun felt as if the man disapproved and nervously explained, “No, I was the one who pursued him. He’s very handsome and gentle. So I confessed first. At first, he didn’t agree.”

Originally, he wanted to emphasize how difficult it was to find such love, hoping Shu Yanshen would respect that and not interfere. But hearing the last part, Shu Yanshen’s face darkened.

“Why didn’t he agree?”

“Huh?” Shushi Yun felt he could barely keep up with Shu Yanshen’s rapid train of thought. “He said he wanted to give me enough time to think, not wanting me to decide rashly.”

Shu Yanshen scoffed coldly, setting the bottled water down.

“Well, that’s a fine excuse.”

Uncertain of the source of his anger, Shushi Yun felt uneasy, fearing he had misspoken, and hurried to add, “Actually, he confessed to me before, but I didn’t agree. So he probably worried I was acting on impulse.”

Shu Yanshen’s face remained stern.

“Chairman of Chengjia Group? He’s Shang Tingye’s son.”

“Something like that.” Shushi Yun couldn’t recall clearly.

“He’s ten years older than you. What do you like about him?” Shu Yanshen’s tone grew serious, the weight of an elder’s authority pressing down on Shushi Yun’s shoulders with every word. “There are many rich and handsome men. What makes him so outstanding that you’d risk everything for him?”

Shushi Yun was puzzled.

“How is dating a risk? He treats me well. If I weren’t worried about rushing things, I’d want to register our marriage quickly.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Shu Yanshen’s expression shifted. “You’re so young, thinking about marriage already. Is Lan Suzi pushing you to do this?”

In the past, Shushi Yun would have softened immediately upon seeing his uncle angry, steering the conversation away out of fear of his cold and unyielding nature. But now, things were different.

To him, Shu Yanshen was no longer a stern, indifferent uncle but family—the person who cared most for him in the world. He wasn’t afraid to fully share his true feelings.

“Of course not. Shang Cheng is wonderful in every way. There’s no one richer who’s more handsome, no one more handsome who’s richer. In short, he has many virtues. I really like him. Life is full of surprises; I just want to do what I want while I’m alive and be with the person I love most.” Shushi Yun spoke all at once, softening his tone. “You and Mom are the people I trust most, so I want to tell you about this. I hope you won’t dislike him.”

After this flood of hopelessly romantic words, Shu Yanshen looked at him as if he were a fool, cold and incredulous.

“Shushi Yun, what kind of love potion has he given you?”

Reflecting on what he had just said, Shushi Yun admitted it sounded a little foolish, but it was all honest.

“Uncle, Shang Cheng really is very good.”

Shu Yanshen seemed exasperated, rubbing his forehead and staring out the window, taking a deep breath.

“We’ll talk again when you’ve sobered up.”

Shushi Yun: “…”

What part of him wasn’t sober?

—

The vast office was silent, save for the faint glow of the desk lamp. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights began to flicker on.

Shang Cheng finished reviewing the last contract and shifted his gaze to the motionless phone on the desk. Leaning back, he loosened his collar, a flicker of confusion crossing his handsome features.

Usually, Shushi Yun would have finished work and called him back by now, but today there was no message. The chat screen still displayed the last message Shang Cheng had sent.

“Are you free on Saturday? He Mosheng invited you to an event.”

After waiting a long time without a reply, Shang Cheng sent a message to notify his driver, then stood to leave for home. Just as he stepped out, his phone rang unexpectedly.

But it wasn’t from Shushi Yun.

Cheng Yun: [Image]

Cheng Yun: “Isn’t this young master Shu? Picking someone up so late looks more than just casual. Bro, I feel sorry for you. If it doesn’t work out, just forget it.”

Opening the image, the screen froze on Shushi Yun throwing himself into the arms of a tall stranger. Even from a distance, the joy on his face was unmistakable.

Shang Cheng’s steps faltered, his gaze fixed on Shushi Yun’s tight embrace. After a moment, he pressed the screen off.