Chapter 20

After Lan Xuan left, Shu Shiyun recounted the events of the past few days to his uncle in detail. When he finished, he waited for a long while without hearing a response. Curious, he looked up and saw that his uncle’s eyes were filled with a biting chill.

“Why didn't you mention these things to us before?”

Shu Shiyun felt a bit guilty. “I thought they were just trifles, and I had already handled them.”

“Then why did you ask Lan Suzhi for money?” Shu Yanshen’s tone was stern. “Why didn't you come to us if you needed money? Who would want his filthy cash!”

Even with his friends nearby, he made no effort to conceal his disdain for Lan Suzhi. Shu Shiyun couldn't help but want to laugh, but under his uncle’s glare, he had to suppress it.

“Uncle, I was wrong.” He lowered his head obediently, his voice coaxing. “I just couldn't stand them, and I donated all that money to charity. I just wanted to fleece them.”

Shu Yanshen’s eyes were full of suspicion; clearly, he didn't quite believe him.

“It’s true,” Shu Shiyun said, acting spoiled subconsciously. “I can show you the transaction records. Why don’t you believe me? I’m not short on money, and they’ve taken bits and pieces from me over the years—I just wanted to get a little back.”

Shu Yanshen, of course, wouldn't look. He simply felt that his nephew was too soft-hearted. He had warned him countless times, yet Shu Shiyun had remained overly tolerant of the Lan family. Seeing Shu Shiyun’s current attitude, as if he had finally seen the light, he felt a sense of relief.

But before that breath of relief could fully escape, he said coldly, “You will tell Lan Suzhi about today’s incident.”

Realizing his uncle had guessed his intentions, Shu Shiyun quickly said, “No need. Lan Xuan will tell Lan Suzhi himself. He didn’t know you had returned to the country, but now that he knows, he will definitely invite you to dinner tomorrow. You can just refuse him then.”

Shu Yanshen chuckled softly. “Why should I refuse him? If he wants to see me, then we shall meet.”

Hearing this, Shu Shiyun felt a massive headache coming on.

He had a premonition that if Shu Yanshen met Lan Suzhi, the conflict between them would escalate significantly, and… it might even cause the resentment in the hearts of Lan Suzhi’s family to swell.

Shu Yanshen detested the Lan family and had no intention of discussing them further on his day off. “Anyway, are you coming home tonight?”

“Of course I am.” Shu Shiyun was speechless. “Uncle, please don’t always ask that. Shang Cheng and I haven’t reached that stage yet. Why do you keep probing me?”

Shu Yanshen’s intentions had been laid bare, yet there wasn't a trace of awkwardness on his face.

“Just coming home is enough.”

Shu Shiyun glared at him on purpose. Seeing Shang Cheng return, he walked over without looking back.

Seeing him arrive looking sullen, Shang Cheng raised a hand to ruffle his hair and asked, “Who upset you this time?”

Shu Shiyun pursed his lips. “My uncle keeps teasing me.”

He was always serious in front of others, revealing this childish side only to those he was close to, which made Shang Cheng unable to resist pinching his cheek.

“Don’t be like this in front of others next time.”

Shu Shiyun was a bit bewildered, and then he heard him add with a straight face, “It’s a bit too cute.”

In an instant, he felt as if his head were about to steam.

He couldn’t remember exactly how he had followed Shang Cheng to dinner afterward.

Initially, he had been embarrassed to be close to Shang Cheng’s obviously more mature friends, but Shang Cheng had held his hand from the moment they walked in until they left, and he never forgot to put food on his plate during their conversation, being extremely attentive.

Shu Shiyun didn't understand the topics they were discussing, so he just buried his head in his meal.

Only occasionally, when he looked up and saw everyone chatting happily, did he recall that he, too, had once been close to a similar circle.

When he was young, many prominent figures at school had tried to curry favor with him. At first, he thought it was just simple friendship, but after being pulled into their small chat circles, he realized that everyone in the circle was either wealthy or powerful. Though young, they spoke of mature topics, and every sentence seemed to carry an implication of self-interest.

At his coming-of-age ceremony, Lan Suzhi had personally spent a huge sum to host his birthday banquet, starting the hype a month in advance. On the day, his mother had even booked screens across the entire city to celebrate his birth.

His mother had rushed back to the country to celebrate with him, but on the night of the banquet, he had only been the protagonist for the first half. The subsequent mingling made him feel uncomfortable. Those friends who usually chatted with him at school were wearing small formal suits, but behind them were adults with fawning expressions, asking which private room his mother and uncle were in.

After being refused, the adults maintained a veneer of politeness as they took their leave, but the young people couldn't control their emotions. In private, they couldn't help but lose their temper at him, saying they weren't true friends.

His mother always said that kindness was a rare quality, and Shu Shiyun had never discarded it. But to him, kindness did not mean weakness. Moreover, he was no fool, unable to see the situation even while being used. So, on the spot, he coldly exposed the true motives of his so-called “friends” for approaching him.

That day, they had a huge argument, but when he returned to school, those people swarmed back, apologizing for the day’s events and inviting him to new activities.

Shu Shiyun did not return to his original relationship with them, only occasionally eating a meal together when they happened to meet. But gradually, he felt he couldn't get along with those playboys. At one event, seeing them act with high-handed cruelty toward the ball boys on the court, he finally couldn't help but tear off the mask of civility.

From that day on, rumors about him began to multiply in the circle, but he didn't care. After entering university, he cut ties with those people and closed off his own information.

He believed that anyone who would believe the words coming out of those people's mouths couldn't be a normal person either.

The dinner ended, and the group walked on the lawn. Shu Shiyun walked at the back, deep in thought.

He realized he seemed to have become one of those people. He clearly hadn’t known Shang Cheng, yet he had believed those rumors. He was embarrassed to voice these thoughts, but as he turned to look at the man beside him, he quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Well, he trusted that Shang Cheng wouldn’t mind.

-

Just as his uncle had said, Lan Suzhi sent a message that evening, having learned that Shu Yanshen had returned to the country, and invited them to dinner the next day at noon.

Shu Shiyun agreed immediately after receiving the message, but as he closed his eyes to rest, his heart was full of unease. The catalyst for his rebirth had triggered a butterfly effect; everything had undergone subtle changes, forcing him to remain cautious and speculate on Lan Suzhi’s next move.

For now, it was basically certain that his death had been caused by Lan Suzhi, but what about his mother?

Because the Shu family had a special status, even his mother was accompanied by bodyguards when she went out, and those around her were trusted confidants. Theoretically, an accident shouldn't have happened. If it were just Lan Suzhi, he shouldn't have had the capability.

But if one were to consider the enemies of the Shu family, that was not something he could investigate on his own.

And then there was Shang Cheng… he had watched the other man meet with disaster; that sense of heart-palpitating dread still lingered in his dreams, haunting him every night.

He slowly drifted into sleep.

As the night grew deeper, the phone on the bedside table lit up repeatedly, countless messages popping up, but without making a sound to disturb him.

-

“What are you blanking out for? If there’s a mistake today, we’re finished. The first row has top leaders as well as outstanding alumni on both sides; you’re going to give a speech in a moment.”

“Host, have you memorized the script yet? Time to go on stage.”

“Eh? Who is that sitting on the edge of the first row? Doesn’t look like a leader, so handsome.”

As soon as Shu Shiyun walked into the backstage area while adjusting his clothes, he heard several people whispering.

His gaze followed the side of the stage, and he saw a man in a dark gray suit sitting in the first row under the podium. He had a handsome and sharp look, and he appeared to have an extraordinary air.

“That’s Chairman Shang of the Shangjia Group. He graduated from our school too. His looks are really top-tier. Haven’t you seen the exclusive interview he did? The magazine sold out that day just because of that photo.”

“I know now. Is it him who funded the construction of our new library and dorms?”

“More than that, do you know how much he donated to our school this time? It would scare you to death!”

The people present started searching for photos. Shu Shiyun didn’t crowd around, choosing instead to search on his own phone. As soon as he searched for "Shangjia Group," a high-impact image appeared.

The man was sitting on a sofa, his body relaxed. The innate aura of a person in power came across the screen, paired with that handsome and noble face, making it impossible to look away.

He was quite handsome.

Shu Shiyun stared at it for a long while as if bewitched, then immediately heard the news that it was time to go on stage. He handed his phone to someone else and walked onto the stage with his partner, holding the microphone to open the event.

Standing on the stage, the people below became clearer. He could feel everyone’s gaze on him. At first, he wasn’t nervous, but afterward, feeling the man in the middle looking toward him, he felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

After finally finishing the previous segments, he went on stage alone to invite the distinguished alumnus to speak, watching as the man stood up.

Shang Cheng buttoned his suit jacket and nodded slightly to the person beside him as he stood, looking very calm and composed.

When he got on stage, Shu Shiyun realized he was even taller than he had imagined; he had to slightly tilt his head up to meet his gaze. Trying hard to remain calm, he handed over the microphone with both hands, feeling the other man’s fingertips brush against his accidentally.

“Thank you.”

The deep voice sounded above his head, stable and elegant like a cello.

Shu Shiyun didn't say much; he nodded and turned to walk off the stage.

Off-stage, he listened to the man’s speech, but he didn’t feel the boredom he usually felt with others.

Shang Cheng was also very relaxed on stage, using humor to recount the hardships of his early career. Mid-way, he told a couple of embarrassing stories, which made the audience laugh, but he ended with serious advice, giving many recommendations suitable for the young people still in school.

Throughout the entire process, the audience remained focused; Shu Shiyun barely saw anyone chatting or losing focus, and he couldn't help but feel respect for the man on stage.

Sometimes, he also wanted to become someone who could lead others on their path, someone whose simple words could leave a deep impression on so many, perhaps never to be forgotten for a long time.

-

When he woke up the next day, Shu Shiyun’s mind was still groggy, and the dream from the night before was suddenly recalled.

For a moment, he couldn't tell what was true and what was false. Feeling a bit dizzy, he sat up, intending to search for Shang Cheng’s university, but as soon as he picked up his phone, he saw the screen filled with 99+ messages and missed calls.

He instantly had a bad premonition. He unlocked the phone and opened it; just then, Fang Jia-hua sent a new message. He clicked to answer it subconsciously.

Rubbing his messy hair, he heard Fang Jia-hua’s urgent voice coming from the other end, and his expression instantly turned serious.

“Boss, have you seen the messages I sent you?”

Shu Shiyun put the phone on speaker and began to check the messages one by one. When he saw the text on the screenshots, his brows furrowed tightly.

One after another, the likes on each post were higher than the last. Many of the comments below were very extreme. Although they had deliberately cropped out the parts where they were arguing, it still made Shu Shiyun feel the overflowing malice.

“I don’t know what’s going on. Suddenly, so many ‘insiders’ have popped up. Before, they were only discussing that video, and after you explained it, many fans went to debunk the rumors, but now they’ve changed their tactics. They’re talking about your past private life and have posted many pictures. The things they’re saying are very nasty, and most importantly…”

Fang Jia-hua seemed unable to say it.

But Shu Shiyun didn’t even need to ask her; he swiped to the corresponding post screenshot.

[My God, does anyone not know yet? The person he was holding at that banquet has an unusual status. They are a genuine wealthy powerhouse. Two characters—you guys figure it out yourselves. I can’t say more, I’m afraid of getting into trouble.]

[No way? Is his private life really that messy? He looked so pure on the livestream!]

[Blind guess: an 'S'? No way… a web celebrity can climb to such a status? His methods really aren’t simple.]

[Is it fake? People with that much money have everything they could ever want; why would they date a man? And won’t getting involved with this kind of web celebrity affect the company?]

[Everything on the internet is just a persona, fake or real. Who believes this kind of sunny, simple boy? Maybe his face is even plastic surgery. He’s probably just gained a lot of fans through this persona.]

[Seeing so many people asking, I can only say his family isn’t poor, but his materialistic desires are particularly strong. He can’t satisfy himself with what he has, and he has some special fetishes. I’ll release some pictures later. See if you’re lucky enough to catch them; I don’t dare be too blatant, or I’ll be retaliated against. He has a benefactor behind him.]

[Don’t be a coward. The more you say, the more credible it sounds.]

Looking at the comments slandering him, Shu Shiyun felt nothing, but when he saw someone mention keywords related to Shang Cheng, a faint anger suddenly surged in his heart.

“Boss, what should we do?” Fang Jia-hua also realized he must have seen those words. “Should we inform Mr. Shang’s side first? These fabrications are too outrageous. I’ve already notified PR to come up with a relevant plan.”

Shu Shiyun leaned forward slightly, supporting his head. He felt the numbness of being on the verge of death wash over him again, making him unable to suppress the surging emotions in his chest.

After a long while, he took a deep breath and said coldly, “First, issue a lawyer’s letter to collect evidence and suppress the discourse. This matter cannot involve Shangjia. Handle the rest as you see fit.”

“Okay, I understand.” Fang Jia-hua was already busy on her end, then asked, “Then should we look into where the discourse started fermenting, and then…”

Shu Shiyun kicked off the quilt and got out of bed. Passing by the wardrobe, he saw in the mirror a chill on his pale face that even he felt was unfamiliar.

“No need. I know who it is. I will deal with him personally.”