Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Shen Yan played with the spoon in his hand, watching the beautiful latte art on the hot milk change shape.

"I haven't asked yet, what happened to your face?"

Shen Lin reached up to touch the corner of his mouth, gently hissing, "I just got into a fight with some jerk."

"Are you in a bad mood because Mom scolded you over this?"

Shen Lin: "Yeah, while scolding me, she kept saying how well-behaved you are and how you never cause her any trouble."

"Wimp, do you think there's something wrong with Mom and Dad upstairs?" Shen Lin pointed at his own temple as he spoke.

Shen Yan gave him a sideways glance, "If Dad heard you say that, he’d give you a slap."

"And I’m your brother."

Shen Yan knew what Shen Lin was trying to do, but didn't want to directly expose it. He found Shen Lin’s attempt to skirt the issue quite amusing.

Shen Lin continued talking, and seeing that Shen Yan wasn't taking the bait, he finally blurted out, "Bro, were Mom and Dad forced into marriage?"

"I've been thinking about it for a long time, but I just can't figure it out. Grandpa and Grandma were teachers, and while you could say we come from a family of scholars, Dad and Mom's marriage definitely wasn't a political alliance."

"And from what I've seen, their relationship isn't too bad either. But their treatment of us is like a competition. If Mom shows you extra affection, Dad will show me double."

"So what’s really going on?"

Shen Yan took a sip of milk, the foam lightly clinging to his lips, and gently wiped it off, "Why not ask Dad?"

Shen Lin, seeing that Shen Yan was interested, perked up, "Do you think I didn't already ask? Don’t you know, they say scholars have a strong backbone, but Dad’s even more stubborn."

"So you want me to talk to Mom?"

Shen Lin nodded eagerly; this was precisely why he came to see Shen Yan today.

Their family dynamics were too strange.

He had many friends who were second- or third-generation elites from Beijing’s social circles, and had naturally heard of many cases where parents lived separate lives but pretended to be loving in public.

There were even cases where they brought illegitimate children home, raised them under the original spouse’s name, causing chaos in the household.

Many people envied his parents for being truly loving, but every time Shen Lin heard such comments, he felt a bitter taste in his heart.

"Bro, ask Mom, she really dotes on you. If it’s you, she’ll definitely tell you the reason." Shen Lin urged Shen Yan with all his might.

Shen Yan looked at Shen Lin’s face, which was almost pressed against his, and gently pushed him away by pressing his forehead.

"I can ask Mom, but I’ll give you a heads-up: don’t get your hopes up."

Shen Lin laughed, "Bro, this family depends on you."

After that, Shen Lin asked about the forum incident again, and Shen Yan briefly mentioned Bai Qian.

Shen Lin didn't think much of it, and later they had a meal together.

As they left the restaurant, Shen Lin suddenly said, "Wait for me here for a moment."

After saying that, he ran to the small supermarket across the street and came out with a sun umbrella in his hand.

Shen Lin glanced at the sun overhead; it was nearing noon and quite hot.

"Having a meal with you is such a hassle. Here, take this."

Shen Yan stared at the pink sun umbrella in Shen Lin’s hand, then stepped back, shook his head, and waved his hand in a series of refusals. "You keep it."

With that, he turned to leave.

Seeing that Shen Yan was trying to escape, Shen Lin, in a hurry, wrapped his arms around Shen Yan's waist, then his eyes widened in surprise.

Can a guy have such a slender waist?

Shen Yan felt a bit helpless. Despite being his younger brother, Shen Lin was taller than him.

Through the cotton fabric, he could even feel the warmth and strength of Shen Lin’s arm.

"Are you done hugging?"

Shen Lin's ears felt hot, and he coughed lightly. "You have to take the umbrella back. What if you get heatstroke and pass out on the way in this scorching sun?"

They stood in a standoff for a moment before Shen Lin compromised. "I'll walk you back with the umbrella."

On the way back, it was peak dismissal hour, and even at the north gate, there were plenty of students around.

Shen Yan kept his head down the entire way, afraid of being spotted by someone he knew.

Murphy’s Law, though delayed, always comes true.

From a distance, Lu Zhao’s voice could be heard. "Shen Lin?"

Shen Lin responded cheerfully, and instantly, many people turned to look at them.

Lu Zhao ran over. "I was just heading out for a meal and remembered you said you'd come to A University today, so I thought I'd try my luck. I didn’t expect to actually run into you guys."

"Yan Yan? Why are you keeping your head down? Are you not feeling well?"

Shen Lin pouted. "He thinks the umbrella I bought isn’t good-looking, but I think it suits him perfectly."

Shen Yan looked up and glared at him. "This pink one suits a tough guy like you!"

Lu Zhao burst into laughter and put an arm around Shen Lin's shoulder. "Your brother has a point."

Shen Lin was a bit unhappy, feeling his taste had been questioned.

Just as the three of them were talking, Shen Lin suddenly received a phone call, probably something from the school.

"Brother Lu Zhao, I have something urgent come up. Can you do me a favor and take my brother back?"

Lu Zhao said, "Of course. Go ahead with your business."

Shen Lin not only handed Shen Yan over to him but also thrust the pink sun umbrella into Lu Zhao’s hand, walking away while looking back and instructing, "Take good care of my brother, alright!"

Lu Zhao: ...

The umbrella looked funny in someone else’s hand, but in his own, it just felt kind of silly.

"Brother Lu Zhao, give me the umbrella. Go have your meal."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhao's face immediately brightened with joy, but suspicion quickly crept in. "You're not going to close the umbrella once I leave, are you?"

Shen Yan's eyes dodged. That was precisely what he had intended.

Lu Zhao remembered how Shen Yan used to turn pale after walking under the sun for a while and hesitated before saying, "I'll walk you home."

Shen Yan said, "Big Brother Lu Zhao..."

"Calling me brother won't change anything," Lu Zhao said firmly.

Lu Zhao loved to talk, his mouth never stopped, while Shen Yan remained quietly listening.

The combination of one moving and one still drew the attention of many passersby along the way.

In the classroom, coding, Hu Chengyu overheard his classmates murmuring. Their voices were too low, but he could make out a few words: "a perfect match," "Shen Yan," "shipworthy"...

Hu Chengyu's expression remained blank as he took out his phone and opened the forum. Without needing to search, he saw a post lingering on the homepage.

The first post featured a side profile of Shen Yan, holding an umbrella, with a gentle smile on his lips, like the purest thing.

By the time he came to his senses, he had already saved the image.

Scrolling further, he saw the full picture in the first post; Lu Zhao was standing next to Shen Yan.

Shen Yan was smiling at Lu Zhao.

Hu Chengyu's eyes narrowed, then he locked his phone and returned his attention to his computer, typing away before stopping again.

It wasn’t until he left the classroom with his laptop that the students sitting at the back finally spoke. "Wow, what just happened to Hu Chengyu? I felt a low pressure around him; I didn't dare to speak."

"I felt it too. Was there a problem with the assignment?"

"The assignment was just given out, right?"

"Then it must be something else. Anyway, he was definitely in a bad mood. He left an entire hour earlier than usual."

...

Unaware that his early departure had piqued the curiosity of a few students in the classroom, Hu Chengyu returned to his dorm. Lu Zhao had just finished his takeout and was heading out to throw away the trash. Seeing Hu Chengyu, he looked surprised. "Bro, why are you back so early today?"

"Hmm." Hu Chengyu opened the door with one hand and turned to ask, "Did you go out with Shen Yan alone today?"

Lu Zhao swung the trash bag, looking confused. "No, I didn’t. Where did you hear that from, bro?"

Before he could finish, Hu Chengyu cut him off. "Keep a low profile in the future, okay? It’s troublesome if photos are taken and rumors spread."

With that, he turned and went inside, closing the door behind him.

Lu Zhao stood outside, bewildered. While throwing away the trash, he ran into a familiar classmate from his undergraduate days. The classmate grinned at him teasingly. "Lu Zhao, no wonder you turned down the English department’s beauty queen back in your junior year. Your standards are really high, huh?"

"Although he’s a guy, many people at A University consider him the school’s beauty. We’re rooting for you."

Lu Zhao didn’t fully understand the earlier conversation, but he was aware of the school beauty poll. He had even joined in and voted for Shen Yan.

He had even encouraged Hu Chengyu to vote for Shen Yan, but was brushed off with the word 'boring.'

But why were people now pairing him with Shen Yan?

Before he could ask more, the two had already left.

*

In the dorm room 202, Gu Jia kept asking Shen Yan repeatedly, "Yan Yan, is it really not that kind of relationship between you and Senior Lu Zhao?

"However, your photos together look really good, like a playful and rebellious dominant with a doting look, holding an umbrella for a sickly and aloof beauty. It’s quite a compelling pairing to ship."

Shen Yan: ......

Shen Yan reached out and tousled his curly hair, "You better not say that in front of Brother Lu Zhao. He'll get angry if he hears it."

After the incident with Bai Qian, Shen Yan understood the importance of controlling public opinion. He learned about a special agency through a friend.

As long as you paid enough, they could help resolve most online problems.

Shen Yan had heard about them from the previous generation, but when he tried to hire them to investigate Shu Qianfei, they had already stopped taking new clients.

Shen Yan went to the balcony and called their phone number, relieved they answered, and then stated his request.

"To delete a post from a university bulletin board?" the person confirmed again.

Shen Yan: "Yes."

The person's voice was young, sounding around twenty to thirty years old.

The person muttered, "This money is really easy to earn..."

Shen Yan chuckled softly. Easy?

For him, anything that could be solved with money wasn’t a difficult matter.

Moreover, besides his good looks, his greatest advantage was probably his wealth.

The other party was efficient, and within minutes, when Shen Yan refreshed the page again, the post about him and Lu Zhao had disappeared.

In a room of a residential building near A University, which was converted into a simple office, three young men were gathered. It was small but well-equipped.

The youngest, wearing a tank top, had a cigarette hanging from his mouth. His narrow eyes, with slightly raised outer corners, added a touch of charm.

Seeing the payment notification in the account, the man’s lips curled upward slightly.

Then, using a special communication app, he messaged someone named 'Boss.'

Leaf: Boss, I was blessed by a big spender today. I just deleted a post from a university forum and got paid this much.

Leaf: [Picture]

The picture showed the payment information.

There were four people in the group, and besides the Boss, the other two, Third and Fourth, started howling: "This isn’t just a client; this is our benefactor."

Leaf: Boss, you know this beauty. I wish I had given him a discount.

Leaf: It was a very ordinary post, just a few photos, mostly about people shipping the couple, nothing special.

Boss: Give him my contact. I'll handle him from now on.

Upon hearing the boss's words, the other three in the group looked at each other, sensing something was about to happen.

*

In his dorm room, Shen Yan received the contact information and switched to his primary WeChat account.

After a moment's hesitation, he called Shu Qianfei.

Soon, Shu Qianfei's voice came through the phone, "Yan Yan?"

Shen Yan said, "Yes, Mom. Are you free tomorrow? I don’t have classes tomorrow and want to see you."

Shen Yan felt that he probably could never master the art of sweet talk like Shen Lin did.

Even so, Shu Qianfei was very pleased, "Yan Yan, hold on a moment."

Shen Yan could faintly hear Shu Qianfei speaking to her assistant, as she covered the phone’s receiver. He could only hear muffled sounds.

She seemed to be asking her assistant about her schedule for tomorrow.

Shu Qianfei did not respond immediately, and Shen Yan guessed she was busy tomorrow.

He waited patiently, and soon enough, he heard Shu Qianfei’s apologetic voice, "Yan Yan, tomorrow’s company meeting is very important, I really can’t get away."

Even though Shu Qianfei was usually assertive, she hesitated a bit before refusing Shen Yan.

Shen Yan said, "It's okay, Mom. We can meet next week..."

"Yan Yan, how about this, have Suri pick you up and bring you to the office. We can have lunch together," Shu Qianfei suddenly suggested.

Shen Yan wanted to decline; he preferred to discuss things in a quiet place. But Shu Qianfei didn’t give him a chance to refuse.

"Yan Yan, it’s decided then. I’ll be waiting for you at the office tomorrow."

Shen Yan looked at the late summer sky, clear and deep, and hearing Shu Qianfei’s expectant voice, he responded, "Okay."