Chapter 3

He bent over, cupped some water in his hands, and splashed it on his face. The icy cold sensation cleared his muddled mind somewhat. After vigorously wiping his face, Shu Shiyun quickly left the room, knelt on one knee at the edge of the bed, and reached under the pillow to retrieve his phone.

Ignoring the latest notifications on the screen, he only felt his restless heart settle after reading Shang Cheng’s reply from the previous night.

Shang Cheng: [No.]

Clicking on the pristine white profile picture, Shu Shiyun saw several posts on Shang Cheng’s Moments feed. The most recent was from three days ago: a wide conference table flanked by documents and laptops, with an old-fashioned white porcelain water cup placed prominently in the middle.

[Listening to Sutra Recitation]

Seeing the caption, Shu Shiyun paused briefly, then couldn’t help but chuckle. The subsequent posts mostly consisted of single images without captions—city corners viewed from towering buildings at nightfall, or desks piled high with folders.

After going downstairs to eat his delivery breakfast, Shu Shiyun scrolled through the feed on his phone, yet found himself far from bored. Only when he reached the end did he realize he had unwittingly browsed through all of Shang Cheng’s posts.

Reluctantly exiting the app, he suddenly remembered he hadn’t replied to Shang Cheng’s message.

Yun: [Morning.]

Yun: [Finished looking. You’re quite different from how I imagined.]

Having sent the message, Shu Shiyun closed his phone and focused on sipping his soup, though his ears burned increasingly with embarrassment. His experience in love was limited—only once before, a simple, uneventful relationship that naturally dissolved. He had never uttered words like these.

Though the message seemed harmless on the surface, having sent such things yesterday and again today, the meaning was clear. He waited eagerly for a reply, but even after changing clothes and boarding the car to the Lan family’s residence, the chat window remained frozen on his last message.

Why wasn’t there a reply?

Did he come off as annoying?

Or had these words ruined Shang Cheng’s impression of him?

With no experience in pursuing someone, Shu Shiyun was thoroughly perplexed.

—

After lingering at home for some time, Shu Shiyun arrived at the Lan household well past mealtime. Gazing at the familiar grand door, an indescribable tightness rose in his chest.

For the first time, he did not unlock the door with his fingerprint but chose to ring the doorbell instead.

“Here I come!” The door swung open, revealing Tang Yitong in an apron, her face lighting up with surprise. “You silly boy, why knock when it’s your own home? Just open the door.”

Tang Yitong, dressed plainly in the guise of a housewife, clashed starkly with the flamboyantly adorned woman he’d seen at the funeral, making Shu Shiyun feel nothing but hypocrisy.

Every day wearing such a mask—didn’t it tire her? Yet for her, all was worth it to achieve her goals.

Maintaining a neutral expression, he stepped inside to change his shoes and replied softly, “Still need to knock, since it’s not really my home.”

—

Standing in the foyer, Tang Yitong froze briefly at his words before showing a worried expression. “Shiyun, are you not feeling well today?”

“You’re overthinking,” he said, refusing to engage further, and walked into the living room after switching shoes.

This villa had been purchased by Lan Su Zhi and Shu Shiyun’s mother before their divorce. Though somewhat dated from years without renovation, a closer look revealed that the furniture and decorations were quite valuable—mostly items he had been coaxed into adding.

“Why are you home so late today? What kept you busy?” Lan Su Zhi came downstairs wearing a concerned look. “I told you not to work so hard; your health matters most.”

When Lan Su Zhi approached, Shu Shiyun was the first to avoid the hand reaching for his shoulder.

A faint smile curled his lips, but his sharp, lively fox-like eyes held no warmth. “If I don’t work hard, how can I support such a big family? Should I just live off thin air?”

Lan Su Zhi was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a retort.

In the past, Shu Shiyun would have thought this was genuine concern, but now the words sounded dripping with sarcasm.

“What are you talking about, Shu Shiyun?”

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from upstairs, and Lan Xuan appeared in Shu Shiyun’s line of sight.

He was roughly the same height as Shu Shiyun, his face full of displeasure. “Are you on edge today? Coming home and speaking with a knife behind your words—who offended you? If you don’t want to come back, no one’s forcing you.”

Seeing him only made Shu Shiyun more amused.

Lan Xuan was Tang Yitong and Lan Su Zhi’s child from their marriage, though not Lan Su Zhi’s biological son. He had always lived a privileged life.

In the previous life, Lan Xuan’s attitude toward Shu Shiyun wasn’t kind, but after every provocation, he would sincerely apologize, making Shu Shiyun think he was simply uncomfortable living in the Lan family and thus felt pity and tolerance.

Looking back now, it was as if he had been utterly foolish.

What was there to pity about Lan Xuan? He lived well every day, didn’t even have to find a job after graduation, and drew a handsome salary from a nominal position in Lan Su Zhi’s company. With the allowance Lan Su Zhi gave, he could squander endlessly.

The more he thought, the more ridiculous it seemed.

“Is that so?” Shu Shiyun chuckled lightly. “Then I won’t waste any more of your time. Enjoy your meals.”

With that, he turned to leave.

“Wait—” Tang Yitong hurried to block him. After Shu Shiyun dodged her, she stiffened, then quickly glared at Lan Xuan. “How dare you talk to Shiyun like that? He must be tired from work and in a bad mood. Apologize to your brother at once.”

Before Lan Xuan could reply, Shu Shiyun laughed softly. “I don’t think we’re even blood-related. Better not call me that recklessly.”

Tang Yitong and Lan Xuan exchanged stunned glances.

Unbothered by their silent exchange, Shu Shiyun glanced at Lan Xuan, who frowned in confusion.

Before his rebirth, many doubts lingered in his heart. Within two short months, he and his mother suffered accidents, and in the end, even Shang Cheng…

Now, he realized this matter was far from simple. The biggest beneficiary after their misfortunes was painfully obvious. Shu Shiyun’s expression involuntarily darkened.

He suddenly thought that tearing ties might not be the best move. Didn’t he know exactly what this family cared about most? He was curious to see how Lan Su Zhi had schemed to trap him step by step.

After a brief silence, Lan Su Zhi stepped forward to smooth things over. “What’s going on today? Saying nonsense—could it be that Aunt Tang has gotten to you?”

Hearing this, Shu Shiyun lowered his eyes, suppressing the swelling hatred within.

When he looked up again, he sighed softly. “The new product sales have been poor lately. Our partner factories are having numerous issues, and the financial pressure is mounting.”

—

Lan Su Zhi’s face shifted slightly. “What will you do? Isn’t the money in your hands enough?”

Shu Shiyun shook his head. “I can’t come up with that much right now. My money is still with my uncle.”

Lan Su Zhi and Tang Yitong exchanged a glance, their expressions subtle.

“Don’t worry, sit down and tell us slowly.”

Seated on the sofa, Shu Shiyun took the hot water Tang Yitong poured but didn’t drink it.

Lan Su Zhi pondered for a long moment, as if reaching a decision. “I have some spare cash here. Take it for now.”

Lan Xuan, sitting on a single sofa chair, curled his lips in obvious displeasure at Lan Su Zhi’s “generosity” but said nothing.

Shu Shiyun sneered inside but feigned reluctance. “How can I take your money? You and Aunt Tang should keep it for yourselves.”

“Silly child, we are family,” Tang Yitong said. “Isn’t your father’s money yours? Don’t worry about it.”

Lan Su Zhi nodded as well. “Besides, you’ve supported the family so much over the years, handling countless things. If we were to count it that way, we owe you even more.”

Seeing the family’s hypocrisy, Shu Shiyun could only laugh.

So they knew exactly how things stood in their hearts. Yet, despite having received so much, why were they still never satisfied?

—

After the meal, Lan Su Zhi transferred the money.

Seeing the notification of the deposit, Shu Shiyun rose, satisfied and ready to leave.

At the door, he saw Lan Xuan decked out in designer clothes and smiled. “Lan Xuan, try to save a bit on your purchases and focus on working hard.”

Lan Xuan twitched the corner of his mouth, clearly restraining his temper.

Once in the car, Shu Shiyun’s expression grew calm. Glancing in the rearview mirror at Lan Su Zhi still standing at the gate, he turned his gaze away.

He lowered his eyes and opened the banking app. Seeing the meager amount Lan Su Zhi had sent, he showed no reaction, immediately transferring it to his charity foundation.

For a long time, Lan Su Zhi and the others would likely feel troubled over their decision to help him today.

Thinking this, he felt a measure of satisfaction.

After exiting the app, he noticed Shang Cheng still had not replied, and a faint sorrow returned to his face.

Why no reply?

Without hesitation, he looked up at the driver, who was focused on the road.

“Drive to Chengjia Group.”

The driver silently turned the car around. Shu Shiyun leaned back in his seat and opened his phone’s camera to fix his hair.

He hadn’t made any special effort today—just a simple V-neck sweater revealing a slender neck and collarbone, above which was a fair, delicate, and vivid face.

His small, soft lips pursed slightly as he blinked gently, cheeks tinted pink.

Still, even like this, Shang Cheng would like him, wouldn’t he?