Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Luo Qianjian considerately had the driver drop Shen Dongyi off at her school first.

Upon returning to the Luo residence, Luo Qianjian was having his belated dinner in the dining room and took the opportunity to have the servants call over Luo Chen and He Ruyan.

Luo Chen and He Ruyan both furrowed their brows upon hearing the servant's message.

Luo Chen: "He sure has a big ego."

He Ruyan: "Didn't Qianjian let A'Feng take him to the banquet? Why did he come back so early? Where's A'Feng?"

The servant replied, "Young Master didn't return, only Third Young Master did. Third Young Master said it's something important. If Master and Madam have time, it would be best to hear what he has to say. It's about something that happened tonight at the banquet concerning Young Master."

Luo Chen and He Ruyan still made their way to the dining room.

Luo Qianjian ate slowly but didn't have the habit of not speaking while eating. Thus, he paused between bites to recount the spectacle of Luo Hefeng's "gathering of substitute lovers" at the banquet.

Luo Chen and He Ruyan were taken aback.

It was common knowledge within the family that their second daughter, Luo Gongyou, was a flirtatious heartbreaker who seemed to be on an unconventional path. After all, Luo Gongyou never hid it and even brought Bai Yusheng, a relatively unique presence, directly home.

However, they hadn't deliberately probed into the private life of their eldest son, Luo Hefeng, before, and he never volunteered any information. So, they truly didn't know much about it.

Although surprised, they didn't see it as a major issue, except for one thing—

"Why would such a scene unfold publicly at a banquet? It's quite embarrassing."

Luo Qianjian nodded in agreement, albeit somewhat irrelevantly. "Indeed, now everyone knows that Big Brother has an unforgettable first love for whom he's sought substitutes multiple times to fill the emotional void. Big Brother might find it harder to let go of this matter from now on."

Luo Chen and He Ruyan were astonished. "How did a gathering of a few lovers lead to talk of first loves?"

It couldn't be that Luo Hefeng himself slipped up and revealed it, could it?

"It was me," Luo Qianjian answered straightforwardly.

Luo Chen and He Ruyan: "…"

Luo Chen: "You said it? Why did you say that?"

He Ruyan: "Qianjian, where did you learn about your Big Brother's first love?"

Luo Qianjian matter-of-factly replied, "I thought of it, so I said it."

"As for how I knew… it was many years ago, during the period when Big Brother had just returned after training abroad. I accidentally overheard you and Big Brother discussing his first love. I've remembered it ever since, but I didn't mention it before out of fear of touching on Big Brother's painful memories."

Luo Chen and He Ruyan felt even more distressed.

Why did the family secrets always seem to fall into Luo Qianjian's lap!

And when would this rebellious phase of his, where he was so loose-lipped, finally end!

"You…" Luo Chen was displeased. "Since you haven't mentioned it for so many years, why did you bring it up in public tonight? Isn't this going to make your Big Brother feel even worse!"

Luo Qianjian sighed lightly. "Big Brother suddenly had so many past secret lovers pop up around him. I was momentarily stunned and blurted it out instinctively. It's alright; Big Brother is composed and won't lose his composure because of this."

Luo Chen and He Ruyan could only think along those lines.

After dinner, Luo Qianjian retreated to his room, but Luo Chen and He Ruyan remained preoccupied with the events of the banquet and waited until Luo Hefeng returned to ask him about the aftermath.

Luo Hefeng was somewhat irritable. "If it's spread, then it's spread. There's no need to worry about it."

This irritation lingered in his heart, making it difficult for Luo Hefeng to sleep. Finally, the idea that had been brewing in his mind came to fruition—he decided to find another substitute lover.

This time, there was no need to keep it a secret like a "secret lover." It didn't matter if he was more open about it since everyone in their circle already knew. He might as well be candid and avoid giving others any ammunition for gossip.

As for the choice of the new lover… it was already decided.

The next morning, after breakfast, Luo Hefeng pulled Luo Qianjian aside.

"Qianjian, since you saw everything at the banquet last night, I have something I'd like to ask of you, so I'll get straight to the point," Luo Hefeng calmly explained while adjusting his cuffs. "I want you to help me connect with your classmate, Shen Dongyi."

Luo Qianjian expressed surprise. "Connect?"

Luo Hefeng nodded. "Yes, exactly what you're thinking. Shen Dongyi does indeed resemble my first love. In fact, he's the most similar person I've encountered in these years."

"Since he's your classmate, I don't want to approach him directly without involving you. If you're willing, you can relay the message and facilitate the connection for me. The specifics will be discussed by my assistant with him; you don't have to worry about it. If you're unwilling, I'll have my assistant contact him directly, but I'll also inform him of your stance so that he doesn't misunderstand you."

It seemed rather thoughtful and considerate of Luo Qianjian's position as his younger brother.

However, if Luo Hefeng truly valued this familial bond, he wouldn't have chosen Luo Qianjian's classmate for his own desires—especially since, from Luo Hefeng's perspective, Shen Dongyi wasn't just an ordinary classmate of Luo Qianjian's. They were quite familiar with each other, and Luo Qianjian even brought him along to banquets.

Yet, Luo Hefeng persisted in targeting Shen Dongyi, even preferring that Luo Qianjian facilitate the connection and help him find this new substitute lover.

In his previous life, this incident didn't occur.

After all, Shen Dongyi stayed at the Luo residence during the summer internship, making it convenient for him and Luo Hefeng to meet frequently. Back then, Luo Hefeng and Shen Dongyi grew closer without Luo Qianjian's knowledge, and by the time he found out, they were already "together."

In this life, thanks to Luo Qianjian, Luo Hefeng and Shen Dongyi were going to "fall in love" earlier than expected.

Luo Qianjian felt he was truly a good brother and classmate.

"Big Brother… alright, I'll ask Dongyi for you, but if Dongyi isn't willing, I hope you won't force him." Luo Qianjian wore a look of "difficulty."

Whether or not he would force the issue was another matter, but Luo Hefeng nodded in agreement for the moment.

Thus, at school, Luo Qianjian relayed the matter to Shen Dongyi, doing so right before class started, leaving Shen Dongyi dazed and unable to concentrate throughout the entire lesson.

After class, walking out of the classroom.

Luo Qianjian spoke to Shen Dongyi with composure and warmth, urging her to ease her mind: "Dongyi, don't be afraid. I'll tell Eldest Brother that you're unwilling when I return. My Eldest Brother has assured me that he won't force you. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you about this matter in the first place; it was disrespectful of me."

Shen Dongyi was taken aback, then suddenly felt somewhat anxious.

He was actually... somewhat moved.

But looking at Luo Qianjian, who wore an expression of righteousness and assumed it was natural for him not to want to be a substitute lover, Shen Dongyi didn't know how to respond.

Shen Dongyi also felt that she shouldn't agree, but... she didn't know why, she couldn't help but want to accept.

"I..." Shen Dongyi hesitated over how to speak, wanting to achieve her goal while preserving her dignity.

In his past life, Shen Dongyi had gone through the journey of becoming Luo Hefeng's new underground lover, experiencing thoughts like "So what if Luo Hefeng is rich!" and "I'm not with you for the money," before unexpectedly learning the truth that she was merely a substitute.

At that time, Shen Dongyi sobbed to Luo Qianjian in despair, and it was only then that Luo Qianjian learned of Luo Hefeng's actions regarding finding a substitute.

Luo Qianjian found this disrespectful and, since Shen Dongyi always cried to him after being with Luo Hefeng, he simply advised her to break up.

However, Shen Dongyi said it was too late, that it would have been better if she knew beforehand, as she wouldn't have gotten involved. But now, she was already entangled with Luo Hefeng, unable to escape, as he wouldn't let her leave.

After crying, Shen Dongyi complained to Luo Qianjian, asking why he hadn't told her about Luo Hefeng's first love.

Luo Qianjian then went on to persuade his Eldest Brother, who dominated the relationship, to let Shen Dongyi go free and hoped that Luo Hefeng could move on from the shadow of his past heartbreak. Naturally, Luo Hefeng didn't listen.

In any case, in his past life, Shen Dongyi and Luo Hefeng continued their tumultuous love story, chasing each other until they finally reconciled and became a couple, leaving Luo Qianjian, who had advised them to part ways, in a difficult position.

This life, however, Luo Qianjian was quite curious. With Luo Hefeng and Shen Dongyi starting off so "frankly" and "knowing each other inside out," how would the passionate love story from his previous life and the original book's plot unfold?

"Qianjian..." Shen Dongyi finally seemed to make up her mind, gathering the courage to speak, "I... actually, I think your Eldest Brother is a good person, and also quite pitiful."

Luo Qianjian blinked.

Shen Dongyi continued, "You told me about his past with his first love. I understand... that it's possible to empathize with Eldest Brother's inability to let go of his first love, even though the act of finding a substitute isn't respectful. But if Eldest Brother insists on finding one, I... I am willing to try and help him overcome his emotional baggage..."

Luo Qianjian reminded her with a look of surprise, "But, Dongyi, my Eldest Brother has a cold personality, and you've heard from his former lovers that he chokes people when drunk."

Shen Dongyi responded with a brave demeanor, as if ready to face the worst: "It's alright, I believe Eldest Brother is fundamentally good. As long as we spend more time together and have patience, everything will be fine."

Luo Qianjian sighed, "Indeed, my Eldest Brother does have some redeeming qualities towards his lovers, at least he doesn't skimp on money... But Dongyi, the title of 'substitute lover' is too demeaning."

Shen Dongyi bit her lip, "I know... It's alright. Everyone is equal, as long as I know that I'm not selling myself for money, and Eldest Brother isn't the type to treat people as objects, right?"

Luo Qianjian could only say "helplessly," "Well, as long as you're sure. I'll inform Eldest Brother when I return. By the way, later I'll create a group chat, making it easier for you two to exchange contact information. As the matchmaker, I can introduce you to each other."

Shen Dongyi relaxed, "Alright, then... thank you, Qianjian."

Luo Qianjian chuckled softly.

Back at the Luo residence, when Luo Hefeng returned that evening, Luo Qianjian conveyed Shen Dongyi's willingness.

Luo Hefeng wasn't surprised.

He wasn't blind; he could see that Shen Dongyi acted strangely around him.

"Eldest Brother, you'll be good to Dongyi, right? Although her family background isn't great, she's always been hardworking and ambitious," Luo Qianjian added leisurely.

Luo Hefeng inwardly scoffed. When did hardworking and ambitious people easily agree to be substitute lovers?

However, since Shen Dongyi was Luo Qianjian's classmate, Luo Hefeng didn't want to be too harsh, responding, "Don't worry, we both get what we need. As long as she doesn't cause trouble, I won't mistreat her."

Luo Qianjian nodded, "That's good. Also, Eldest Brother, last night, Dongyi and I left the banquet early. We met Li Yuan outside, and he said... when you were together in the past, you used violence against him when drunk. Is that true?"

Luo Hefeng furrowed his brows but didn't deny it, "Loss of control due to alcohol isn't the norm. Qianjian, you don't need to worry so much about Shen Dongyi. Since she knows I need a substitute lover and has heard Li Yuan's account of my drunken mishaps, she must have prepared herself. She's just a lover; do I have to pamper her? I won't indulge her in forgetting her place just because she's your classmate."

Luo Qianjian sighed softly, "In any case, I hope you both can be happy. Eldest Brother, should I create the group chat for you soon?"

Luo Hefeng felt that Luo Qianjian was making things too formal, as if it were a matchmaking introduction. He intended to hand over the subsequent procedures to his assistant.

However, considering that Luo Qianjian had taken the initiative to connect them, and that Shen Dongyi was indeed the most similar to his beloved yet hated first love, Luo Hefeng hesitated slightly, deciding to give Shen Dongyi this "special treatment." He agreed to Luo Qianjian's plan to create a group chat for introductions.

Perhaps due to the ample sense of ceremony, Luo Hefeng also had more expectations than expected.

At school, Shen Dongyi nervously kept checking her phone.

Luo Qianjian sat on the swing in the courtyard, calmly tapping on her phone screen.

Opening WeChat.

Initiating a group chat.

Unfortunately, there was no option to select all.

Luo Qianjian had to take the trouble to manually select everyone in her contact list, from top to bottom.

Regardless of whether they had a nickname or not, whether she had an impression of them or not, familiar or unfamiliar, she included every single one.

Completion, group chat established.

Then Luo Qianjian began typing.

...

Gu Xingyun, pretending to be blind, had just returned to his bedroom, removing his more dedicated prop sunglasses, and picked up his phone, which had been a mere decoration for the day, only to immediately receive a new message.

Realizing that Luo Qianjian had created a group and sent the first message in it, Gu Xingyun clicked in, somewhat surprised.

Then, Gu Xingyun: "..."

Luo Qianjian: "Dongyi, this is my elder brother @Luo Hefeng. He likes to mix cold and hot violence, but his strength is that he's very generous when spending money on stand-ins. Brother, this is your specially requested connection, my college classmate @Shen Dongyi. She likes to take the easy way out forcefully, but her strength is her strong resilience."

Luo Qianjian: "I apologize if that sounded harsh, but it's better to lay all cards on the table. If you two can find common ground and come together, I'm genuinely happy for you. You truly are a match made in heaven."