Chapter 28

Chapter 28

When they arrived at the station, Hu Chengyu gently woke Shen Yan. Given his height and strength, Hu Chengyu could easily carry Shen Yan with one arm and haul two suitcases, but that would likely draw unwanted attention and get him flagged as a suspicious person before they even made it out of the station.

Shen Yan was still groggy when he woke up, completely unaware that he was softly leaning against Hu Chengyu’s shoulder, with Hu Chengyu’s arm wrapped around his waist.

"Still so sleepy..."

His soft voice and warm breath in the crowded station made Hu Chengyu feel like he was barely holding it together.

He half-joked that he wished he could turn Shen Yan into a little kitten and carry him out by the scruff of his neck.

*

After leaving the station, they headed straight to the inn that Shen Yan had booked ahead of time.

It was Shen Yan’s first time staying at an inn, and he was pleasantly surprised by what he saw.

The inn had an antique charm on the outside, but inside, it was modern and sleek, with rooms decorated in the local bamboo-weaving style.

Initially, Shen Yan had booked two rooms, but before checking in, he’d been worried that the inn’s system might glitch and leave them with only one room—a common trope from novels.

After checking in without any issues, he stood on the balcony, taking in the mountain view, and laughed at his own overactive imagination. "Those kinds of situations usually only happen to the main couple in novels, don’t they?"

The inn prided itself on its minimalist yet refined design, offering just seven rooms in total, including the ones they were staying in.

During the National Day holiday, all seven rooms were fully booked, which wasn’t surprising given the season.

Knock, knock!

Shen Yan turned around and saw Hu Chengyu standing outside his room.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah," Shen Yan nodded, "I feel fine."

Hu Chengyu: "Let's grab something to eat first."

The innkeeper, a chatty middle-aged man, was chatting with four young people and an older couple when Shen Yan and Hu Chengyu came downstairs.

When they saw them come down, everyone exchanged greetings.

Two of the girls couldn't help but stare at Shen Yan and Hu Chengyu in admiration.

They all introduced themselves to one another.

The four young people were classmates who had come together for a holiday trip.

The innkeeper added, "There are still two rooms where the guests haven't arrived yet..."

Just as the innkeeper was speaking, a man with a small ponytail and carrying a musical instrument walked in.

From the moment Shen Yan saw him, he sensed that the man had an artistic vibe.

The inn had hired a local cook who prepared traditional regional dishes.

Sitting at the table, Shen Yan found it oddly surreal to be sharing a meal with these strangers. Just a few hours earlier, they were complete strangers, but now they were sitting together, chatting and laughing.

People really are an amazing bunch.

Shen Yan wasn’t in great shape and couldn’t stay awake through the entire dinner, his eyes drooping shut.

He swayed slightly and ended up leaning on someone’s shoulder.

The unfamiliar scent made him frown, and just as he tried to muster the energy to pull away, a warm, dry hand cupped the back of his neck, gently guiding his head in another direction.

Recognizing the familiar scent of grass and wood, Shen Yan felt an unexpected sense of comfort.

Hu Chengyu, his voice cool, muttered, “Sorry.”

The man chuckled softly, “No problem.”

He glanced at Shen Yan and added, “Your friend is really handsome.”

Hu Chengyu’s eyes immediately turned cold, as if someone was trying to take something precious from him.

Hu Chengyu couldn’t help but wonder why Shen Yan always seemed to run into strange men whenever he went out.

First it was Duan Zhuoyi at the resort, then Xie Shiyu on the island, and now this guy.

What was it about Shen Yan that attracted these kinds of people?

After dinner, Hu Chengyu carried Shen Yan back to the room. Two girls watched them go, their eyes shining with the same kind of curiosity as the girl who had switched seats on the train.

Hu Chengyu placed a hand on Shen Yan’s forehead; his temperature was normal.

Though Hu Chengyu wasn’t particularly germophobic, after all the travel, he couldn’t bear the thought of Shen Yan sleeping like this.

So, he got up, fetched some warm water, dampened a towel, and gently wiped Shen Yan’s face.

In his half-sleep, Shen Yan felt a tickling sensation on his face, like a small animal was licking him.

He tried to push the imaginary animal away, but no matter how hard he tried, his arm wouldn’t budge.

Still half-asleep, he opened his eyes and mumbled, “Stop licking, it’s so ticklish…”

Hu Chengyu’s hand, still holding the wet towel, froze in place.

Shen Yan’s eyes slowly focused, and he saw Hu Chengyu sitting beside him, looking dazed for a moment.

Hu Chengyu said, “You’re awake? Get up and take a shower.”

Still groggy, Shen Yan got up, clutching the towel Hu Chengyu had handed him.

He couldn’t help but wonder if Hu Chengyu was annoyed by how messy he seemed.

Shen Yan wanted to protest that he was clean, but the words felt awkward.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing if Hu Chengyu misunderstood.

Didn’t he want them to dislike each other?

*

The next morning, Shen Yan woke up early. When he went downstairs, the owner was already up, lounging in a rocking chair and playing with a bird with bright green feathers.

The elderly couple was still sitting in the lobby, chatting.

Shen Yan greeted the owner, grabbed his breakfast, and sat nearby. He asked, “Owner, how long have you lived on this street?”

The owner poured himself a cup of hot tea, the stream of water flowing smoothly like oil.

He said with a cheerful grin, "I've been here since birth, for over forty years now."

Shen Yan peeled a boiled egg and asked, "Do you know Mr. Tang Yun from Yucheng Street?"

The boss chuckled, "You mean Tang the Mute? Little brother, are you here to find him?"

Shen Yan didn't hide it and nodded, "Yeah, I need to see him about something."

"Then you’ve come all this way for nothing."

Shen Yan’s hand froze mid-peel, "What do you mean?"

The boss continued, "You want to ask him to make some jewelry, don’t you? Although I don’t know what Tang the Mute achieved during his time away, when he first came back and settled down, plenty of people sought him out.

"Apparently, several wealthy individuals tried, but none could convince him to take on any work.

"Tang the Mute may be stubborn, but his craftsmanship is truly exceptional.

"But come to think of it, no one has come looking for him in recent years. If you hadn’t brought it up, I might have forgotten all about it."

Shen Yan chatted with the boss for a bit longer, finished his breakfast, and was about to leave.

He had heard a bit about Tang Yun before coming, and now, after talking to the boss, it seemed even more complicated than he expected.

As he stood up, he saw Hu Chengyu walk in from outside.

Their eyes met, and Shen Yan spoke first, "Why did you go out?"

Hu Chengyu replied, "I went for a walk."

Then, looking at Shen Yan, he asked, "Are you heading out?"

Shen Yan looked into his eyes and, for some reason, felt a pang of guilt.

"Yeah, I’m going out to take care of some business."

Hu Chengyu glanced at his phone, which showed no messages or missed calls, and asked, "Why didn’t you tell me?"

Feeling the eyes of the boss and the elderly couple on them, Shen Yan felt like a young couple arguing in front of their elders.

"I’m not a kid, why should I check in with you?" Shen Yan muttered under his breath.

Before coming here, Shen Yan had thought that if he kept his distance, he and Hu Chengyu wouldn’t have any interactions during these few days, even though Hu had come to Cloud City at Lu Zhao’s request.

But it seemed Hu Chengyu had other plans.

After his rebirth, Shen Yan had focused on regaining his health and protecting his mother and Xiaolin. Now, thinking back, Hu Chengyu seemed a little off.

In his past life, after Xie Shiyu appeared, Shen Yan rarely saw Hu Chengyu unless he was too weak to stay out of the hospital. Otherwise, Hu Chengyu never showed up.

Shen Yan was feeling a bit confused but had to set those doubts aside for now.

He had more pressing matters to deal with.

So, when Hu Chengyu suggested going together, Shen Yan didn’t have the energy to come up with an excuse to turn him down.

Following the map, Shen Yan found Yucheng Street, where Tang Yun had his own shop called Tang Yu.

The street map wasn’t entirely accurate, and many old shops weren’t listed on it.

Shen Yan was walking down the street when someone suddenly grabbed his arm. He turned to see Hu Chengyu, looking puzzled.

Hu Chengyu pointed to a small wooden sign about three meters behind them. "Is that the place you were looking for?"

Shen Yan took a closer look and saw a small signboard with the name "Tang Yu" written neatly on it.

"It’s so tiny!"

The sign was only about a third the size of the larger signs outside other shops.

Shen Yan’s face lit up with surprise and excitement. "Thanks!"

Just as he was about to go inside, someone tugged on the strap of his crossbody bag from behind.

Shen Yan turned, giving him a curious look. "What’s up?"

"I helped you out."

Shen Yan was a little confused but nodded. "I already said thanks."

Hu Chengyu raised an eyebrow. "Just a simple 'thanks'?"

Hu Chengyu wasn’t trying to cause trouble; it was just that Shen Yan’s focused expression had left him feeling a bit off.

He wanted Shen Yan to pay attention to him, so he instinctively tugged on the bag strap.

Still caught up in his excitement, Shen Yan didn’t notice Hu Chengyu’s odd mood. "How about I buy you some ice cream?" he offered enthusiastically.

Hu Chengyu’s stern expression softened into a smile. It seemed like Shen Yan always used ice cream as a way to dismiss him.

Seeing his reaction, Shen Yan mentally noted that Hu Chengyu must really love ice cream.

Mentioning ice cream, Hu Chengyu actually laughed, clearly pleased.

Shen Yan felt he had made the right choice and decided to treat him to ice cream later.

Shen Yan gently pulled his bag strap from Hu Chengyu’s hand and walked straight into the shop.

The shop looked small from the outside, and it was indeed just as small inside.

Despite its small size, the shopkeeper had clearly put a lot of care into arranging everything neatly.

Most of the items on display were jade carvings.

Given the shop’s small size, everything was visible at a glance.

"Where is everyone? Where’s the shopkeeper?"

Hu Chengyu followed him inside. With his nearly six-foot-three height, the small shop felt even more cramped.

Shen Yan said, "There’s no one here. I wonder where the shopkeeper is?"

"Since the shop is open, he’s probably just nearby. Let’s wait a bit," Hu Chengyu said.

Shen Yan nodded, having no choice but to wait for the shopkeeper to return.

Because of his passion for jewelry design, Shen Yan was naturally well-versed in jade.

Jade wasn’t just used for jewelry; it was also popular for carving.

The small shop had a variety of medium-sized jade carvings on display.

Shen Yan was captivated by the carvings, and before he realized it, he had wandered over to the counter. He bent down to examine the pieces behind the glass display, but suddenly froze. In the next second, he lost his balance and landed hard on the floor.

Hu Chengyu quickly moved to his side and extended a hand to help him up. "What’s going on?"

Shen Yan took a couple of shaky breaths, clutching Hu Chengyu’s hand tightly. "There’s someone inside!"

Hu Chengyu tried to soothe him with a pat on the back, but Shen Yan’s grip was too tight.

He gave up on that and stepped closer to peer inside.

Their eyes met.

Hu Chengyu’s expression remained calm and composed.

"Chengyu, you’re hurting my hand," Shen Yan stammered.

"Mr. Tang?" Hu Chengyu called out.

Inside, an elderly man in dark gray work clothes sat up.

At Hu Chengyu’s words, Shen Yan’s fear vanished, and he stepped forward to see an elderly man with a lean frame and graying hair.

Shen Yan had never met Tang Yun before, so he wasn’t sure if this was him.

As Shen Yan regained his composure, he realized his hand was still intertwined with Hu Chengyu’s, and his face flushed with embarrassment.

He tried to pull his hand away, but Hu Chengyu held on firmly.

The old man stood up and pointed to a nearby sign that read: "Please leave."

Still holding Hu Chengyu’s hand, Shen Yan was taken aback. Who kicks out customers without even a word?

And since he didn’t speak, could this really be Tang Yun?

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Tang Yun?"

The old man lay back down, pulling his hat over his face to avoid any further interaction.

While Shen Yan had expected some difficulty, he hadn’t anticipated that the man wouldn’t even speak.

Wait, he couldn’t speak.

How were they supposed to communicate with him?

Shen Yan was at a loss.

"Mr. Tang, we have a business proposal we’d like to discuss with you. In terms of compensation… we can provide you with any jade stone you desire."

The old man seemed oblivious and didn’t react.

Seeing this, Shen Yan grew anxious. His gaze landed on the disorganized sketches on the counter, and an idea struck him.

"Mr. Tang, I can offer you the Dragon Stone variety…"

Before Shen Yan could finish, he heard rustling from outside, and a tall, muscular man entered.

The guy was a bit shorter than Hu Chengyu but bulked up with muscles that looked like they could crush anything. His scarred face and those piercing, intimidating eyes made everyone want to avoid him.

Despite the guy’s intimidating presence, Hu Chengyu and Shu Qianfei weren’t exactly pushovers either, both radiating their own powerful auras.

But Shen Yan wasn’t fazed in the least.

Was this guy some kind of underworld thug? One of those types who get called "boss" or "big brother"?

Shen Yan’s curiosity got the better of him, and he stared straight at the guy with his sharp, clear eyes.

His stare was so direct that the guy couldn’t help but notice him.

To Shen Yan’s surprise, the guy locked eyes with him and started walking straight toward him.

But before the guy could get any closer, Hu Chengyu stepped in front of him.

The guy had spotted Hu Chengyu the moment he walked in. Now, seeing him block the way, his thick, dark brows knitted together. "I just want to talk to him."

Just as the guy finished speaking, Shen Yan heard a faint noise behind him, followed by a raspy voice. "Get lost."

Shen Yan spun around in surprise. The old man could actually speak?