Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Shen Yan frowned and sat in the car, trying to endure his discomfort as he asked, "Where exactly are you taking me?"

After lying in the hospital for three days, Shen Yan had recovered well, but he was struggling after being dragged out for a shopping trip by Shen Lin right after his discharge.

Not only was his head aching slightly, but he also felt a bit nauseous. He took a breath of the air outside the car window, suppressing the discomfort.

All he wanted now was to go home, lie on his soft bed, and clear his mind of everything. His mother was still by his side, Shen Lin was healthy and lively, and Father… Father was still alive. He didn’t need to worry about meetings the next day, meeting with senior executives, or drinking with people who had ulterior motives.

Shen Lin, sitting next to him, didn’t notice his pale face as he kept his eyes on his phone. "You'll find out soon, I guarantee you'll be happy."

Shen Yan looked up at him, the gloomy Shen Lin from his past life and the vibrant Shen Lin of the present overlapping in his mind.

For a moment, Shen Yan couldn’t tell which one was real.

Shen Lin noticed his gaze and looked over, a bit puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Shen Yan forced a smile and pinched Shen Lin's cheek. "I'm your brother."

No matter what happened, he was still there.

Shen Lin was stunned for a moment, then his eyes darted away, muttering under his breath, "Pfft, who wants to be your brother." He put down his phone and looked awkwardly out the window.

Shen Yan leaned against the car window and closed his eyes to rest. After about half an hour, the car stopped in front of an estate.

Seeing the familiar scene, Shen Yan couldn’t help but recall some past events. In his previous life, he had been running the company, forced to drink at business dinners, and ended up in the hospital, vomiting blood.

In the dead of night, he had wanted to see Hu Chengyu. Despite his sickly condition, he waited outside the old Hu mansion and did see Hu Chengyu.

But Hu Chengyu wasn’t alone. Xie Shiyu was there too. Though Xie Shiyu said something that made Hu Chengyu, usually so cold, briefly smile.

Shen Lin handed the invitation to the guard and was quickly let through. Noticing Shen Yan's pale face in the outside light, he spoke impulsively, "Wang Shu, take us to the hospital."

The driver seemed confused and drove a few more meters before coming to a stop.

"Wang Shu, ignore him and keep driving," Shen Yan said before looking at Shen Lin. "I'm fine."

Shen Lin blurted out, "Are you that eager to attend Hu Chengyu's birthday party?"

Heh, typical hypocrisy!

But seeing Shen Yan's pale and listless appearance made him inexplicably angry. Even if he liked Hu Chengyu, he shouldn’t neglect his health!

Shen Yan really couldn’t understand his younger brother. Shen Lin had brought him here, and now that he was staying, Shen Lin was upset.

Is this what teenage boys are like?

Shen Yan sighed softly, "Many people saw us just now. If we turn back now and it gets back to the Hu family, what will they think of our Shen family?"

Although the Shen family had some status in the Jing City business circle, they were still a bit lower in front of the Hu family.

Even if Shen Yan didn’t care for himself, he had to think of Shu Qianfei. Leaving now would only cause trouble for her.

Although Shen Lin was more mature than other boys his age, he still had a strong sense of pride. He had to admit that Shen Yan had a point, but he still stubbornly replied, "Who cares what the Hu family thinks?"

He mumbled awkwardly but didn’t press the issue of leaving.

Uncle Wang was surprised, expecting the two brothers to argue. After all, such a situation had never occurred before, as the two brothers never went out alone.

Uncle Wang glanced at Shen Yan through the rearview mirror, feeling that the eldest young master seemed different since his discharge.

Shen Yan noticed Uncle Wang’s gaze and asked curiously, "Is something wrong, Uncle Wang?"

Uncle Wang shook his head, and by the time he spoke, the car had already stopped at the Hu family’s parking spot.

Shen Lin and Shen Yan got out of the car together. Under the lights of the Hu family's courtyard, Shen Lin took a closer look at Shen Yan. Apart from his slightly pale complexion, he seemed fine.

Shen Yan’s appearance was a combination of the best features of Shu Qianfei and Shen Shubai. His brow bones were delicate, and his thin lips were not overly red. Due to his frail health, his face had a slightly pinkish-white tinge.

Dressed in a lead-gray suit, he exuded a cold and noble aura.

Even when standing casually, he drew admiring glances from many people.

Of course, some were secretly jealous. After their initial surprise, they began to gossip about Shen Yan, using him as a topic of conversation and laughing about it.

"As expected, even if the eldest young master of the Shen family was in the ICU just moments ago, he’d get up upon hearing about the Hu family’s birthday party."

"Haha, it’s a miracle."

"Keep your voices down, they’re looking over here."

"Let them look. Who’s afraid of a sickly guy?"

Shen Lin clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead bulging, as if he was about to throw a punch at them any second. But before he could act, a hand held down his shoulder.

"Shen Lin, calm down," Shen Yan said coolly.

His cold and clear voice was somewhat pleasant to the ear.

Shen Lin felt his anger subside a bit, but he still glared fiercely at the group.

Hmph, I’ll let them off this time. But if I see them outside, I’ll beat them up every time.

Shen Yan looked at Shen Lin, puzzled. "Why are you angry?"

Then, with an icy gaze, he looked at the group. "Even a glance at those little beasts is polluting your eyes."

Shen Lin: ?!

The group: ...

Shen Lin stared at Shen Yan with wide eyes, as if seeing a stranger.

Among the group, the one who had earlier said they weren’t afraid of Shen Yan now glared fiercely at him but didn’t dare to make a move. Not to mention the consequences of causing trouble at the Hu family estate, even though the Shen family wasn’t as powerful as the Hu family, their status in the Jing City business circle was significant. Especially with Shu Qianfei’s ruthless methods, which these younger generations had heard about.

The group mocked Shen Yan only because they relied on his timidity and assumed he wouldn’t dare confront them or tell Shu Qianfei.

Who would have thought Shen Yan would actually fight back?

Shen Yan did as he said, ignoring them completely and heading straight toward the banquet hall.

Shen Lin followed him without saying a word but continued to eye Shen Yan with suspicion.

Inside the hall, glasses clinked, and ladies dressed in either luxurious or understated evening gowns stood in groups of two or three, gracefully discussing jewelry and accessories, occasionally letting out restrained laughter.

The laughter seemed carefully trained, controlled and artificially false.

The gentlemen held glasses of champagne and talked confidently, but who could guess what lay behind those smiling masks?

Because of his health, Shen Yan seldom attended such banquets. In his previous life, after his mother was imprisoned, he was forced to attend such events to support the company. Back then, his expressions and movements betrayed his discomfort.

At the end of the banquet, on the way home, he would vomit by the roadside, his empty stomach only producing some acid.

Now, although Shen Yan still felt a bit unwell, he could calmly stroll through the crowd, finding a secluded spot to sit comfortably.

Shen Lin followed him and was about to sit down opposite him when Shen Yan suddenly spoke, "Get me a cake, but no cream."

His tone was so casual, as if they were close friends.

Shen Lin was a bit displeased, "...Who are you ordering around? Fine, fine, I'll go."

Shen Yan slightly furrowed his brow and bit his lower lip, acting as if his body was unwell. Shen Lin couldn't bring himself to refuse.

As he walked away, it occurred to him—why did that scene feel so familiar?

He stood before various delicate pastries for a while before finally choosing a small cake that looked soft and sweet.

It oddly reminded him of someone.

As he turned around, he almost bumped into someone, barely managing to protect the fragile little cake.

Not only did it resemble that person, but like that person, it was fragile and needed protection.

"Sorry," Shen Lin said, keeping his eyes on the small tray in his hands.

"Shen Lin?"

A surprised voice reached his ears. Shen Lin looked up to see a tall figure, followed by the other person's cold, sharp eyes.

This was probably the most attractive person he had seen besides his brother.

He preferred this type, someone with a cold demeanor and a striking appearance that was quite intimidating—one look and people would be intimidated.

Lu Zhao smiled, "It’s okay, I didn’t expect you to like cute things," his eyes on the cake Shen Lin was carefully holding.

When Shen Lin came to, realization struck. He realized the way Shen Yan had just ordered him around was familiar.

Seeing Hu Chengyu in front of him, everything fell into place. Whenever Shen Yan pestered Hu Chengyu, he would pretend to be ill.

"Hey, hey, you bumped into me, so why are you staring at my brother?"

Shen Lin felt a bit unhappy. He was only dealing with the aftermath of what Shen Yan had done to someone else.

Feeling a bit unhappy, Shen Lin let out a soft hum, greeted them casually, and then turned to leave.

Lu Zhao looked at Shen Lin, then at Hu Chengyu, muttering, "Teenage boys can be so weird."

"Shen Lin and Shen Yan have never gotten along. If he’s here, does that mean Shen Yan didn’t come?"

After he said that, he cautiously glanced at Hu Chengyu, unable to tell whether he was happy or not, and added instinctively, "Shen Yan has been in the hospital for a few days. I suppose even if he wanted to come, he wouldn’t be able to."

Not far from Hu Chengyu and Lu Zhao, a group of young men and women were laughing and chatting loudly.

"Have you heard about what’s going on with the Shen family?"

"What’s the situation? That Shen Lin upset Shen Yan so much that he had to be hospitalized? That’s nothing new. The brothers don’t get along. Isn’t that common knowledge in the capital?"

"This time it’s different. It involves someone from the Hu family!"

As soon as this was mentioned, the others perked up and urged the person to spill the details fast.

Even Lu Zhao was intrigued by the conversation, his ears pricking up.

Hu Chengyu glanced down at him, his eyes devoid of emotion, but it sent a mysterious chill down one’s spine.

Feeling awkward, Lu Zhao laughed nervously. "I’m just curious, aren’t you?"

Author’s Note:

Hu Chengyu [Expressionless.JPG]: Curious.