Chapter 32

Chapter 32

The moment they left the airport, Shen Lin practically dragged Shen Yan toward their family’s car.

Shen Yan: "Hey, Xiaolin, slow down a bit."

Shen Lin grumbled, “What a hassle…” but slowed down anyway.

Hu Chengyu kept his eyes on Shen Yan until he climbed into the car.

Seeing this, Lu Zhao felt a knot in his stomach. The situation didn’t look good.

“Hey, bro, did something go wrong between you and Shen Yan in Cloud City?” he asked, quickening his pace to catch up with Hu Chengyu.

When he couldn’t catch up, he grabbed Hu Chengyu’s arm without thinking.

Hu Chengyu froze, stopping in his tracks. His icy gaze locked onto Lu Zhao.

It was broad daylight, but Lu Zhao felt a chill creep up his spine.

“Bro, I—” Lu Zhao started to apologize but then noticed a white bandage peeking out from Hu Chengyu’s sleeve.

“Bro, what happened to your arm?” he asked, reaching out to grab Hu Chengyu’s arm.

Hu Chengyu sidestepped to avoid him. “It’s nothing.”

Lu Zhao, shocked and confused, blurted out, “Wait, did you get mugged in Cloud City? How did you get hurt on a trip?”

Irritated by the questions, Hu Chengyu snatched the keys from Lu Zhao’s hand, pressed the button to find the car, and walked straight toward it.

Regaining his composure, Lu Zhao jogged a few steps to catch up.

No way was he letting his brother drive.

While Hu Chengyu was loading the luggage into the trunk, Lu Zhao swooped in and claimed the driver’s seat.

Hu Chengyu shot him a brief glance but didn’t say a word.

The car sped down the road, and every now and then, Lu Zhao would sneak a glance at Hu Chengyu from the corner of his eye, clearly dying to ask something.

Even though Hu Chengyu had closed his eyes to rest, he couldn’t ignore Lu Zhao’s persistent stare.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Bro, be honest, did something happen…”

He hesitated, unsure how to voice the question that had been nagging at him.

Hu Chengyu frowned. “Just spit it out. What are you trying to say?”

Lu Zhao’s mind was still spinning from what Shen Lin had said at the airport.

About an hour earlier, Lu Zhao had spotted Shen Lin at the airport and greeted him enthusiastically.

But Shen Lin instantly turned away, as if he’d just seen something unpleasant.

Lu Zhao, not one to tolerate such rudeness, wasn’t about to let him get away with that attitude.

He grabbed Shen Lin by the nape of the neck. “Listen, kid, I know I didn’t keep my promise. It’s my fault.”

"Didn't I send my brother to keep your brother company?"

"Whether I keep Yan Yan company or my brother does, it’s the same thing, right?"

Shen Lin, whose eyes were about 60% similar to Shen Yan's, stared at him with wide, round eyes. "It’s not the same at all. I thought you were a decent guy, but it turns out you’re just as sneaky."

Lu Zhao was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing in frustration.

"Come on, how am I being sneaky?"

Shen Lin folded his arms, putting on a serious expression. "By giving the opportunity to Hu Chengyu, aren't you trying to create a chance for them to be alone together?"

Lu Zhao really couldn't refute that. He had indeed thought of that, but he didn't understand how that made him sneaky.

Seeing Lu Zhao act confused, Shen Lin sneered. "We’re all guys. Who doesn’t know how men can be?"

"When my brother was chasing after Hu Chengyu, he barely gave him the time of day. Now that my brother wants to keep his distance, what’s Hu Chengyu’s angle?"

"Don’t tell me he’s doing this because you asked him to!"

"When has the eldest young master of the Hu family ever compromised for anyone?"

This rant left Lu Zhao speechless. He blinked, realizing the kid had a point.

Back in the present, Lu Zhao looked suspicious, starting to wonder if his brother had some hidden agenda with Yan Yan.

"Bro, did you try to force something on Yan Yan, and she fought back and hurt you?" Lu Zhao asked, trying to be delicate.

Even though Lu Zhao had known Hu Chengyu since they were kids, he still couldn’t figure out what Lu Zhao was getting at.

Hu Chengyu frowned. "What are you trying to say? What did I force Shen Yan into?"

Lu Zhao’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, and he blurted out, "Bro, do you like Yan Yan?"

The car fell silent.

After what felt like forever, Lu Zhao cleared his throat to break the silence. "Bro, what are you thinking?"

Hu Chengyu gazed out the window, lost in thought. He remembered Shen Yan discussing design plans with Mr. Tang Yun, her eyes welling up when she saw that elderly couple, and the joy she showed while playing with the little girl...

"I don’t know."

The answer clearly caught Lu Zhao off guard. Sometimes, he even wondered if Hu Chengyu had some kind of emotional blind spot.

From the outside looking in, Hu Chengyu’s feelings for Yan Yan were clearly different.

Lu Zhao had planned to drop Hu Chengyu off at his apartment, but Hu Chengyu got a call from Hu Tianhong and had to head back to the old Hu mansion.

"Pull over at the next intersection."

Lu Zhao opened his mouth to protest but ultimately said nothing.

Thinking about the Hu family’s drama, he suddenly understood why his brother had said “I don’t know.”

When Hu Chengyu arrived at the old mansion, Hu Tianhong was sitting in the living room with a few guests.

Seeing Hu Chengyu, Hu Tianhong smiled. "You’re back? Come say hello to Uncle Meng."

The man Hu Tianhong called Uncle Meng was around 36 or 37, with a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose. He exuded a gentle and refined demeanor, much like a successful businessman with a scholarly air.

The young woman sitting beside him had a sweet and demure appearance, with chestnut curls cascading over her shoulders, adding to her gentle charm.

Hu Chengyu gave a brief nod, acknowledging their presence.

Unfazed by Hu Chengyu’s aloofness, Hu Tianhong continued, “This is Uncle Meng’s daughter, Meng Yiyi.”

Hu Chengyu sat in the living room, enduring the silence without uttering a word.

After about thirty minutes, Hu Tianhong suddenly said, “Chengyu, take Yiyi out for a walk.”

Hu Chengyu stood up and left without a word, leaving the other three in the living room with awkward expressions.

Despite this, it wasn’t clear what Hu Tianhong had said to Mr. Meng, but Meng Yiyi actually followed Hu Chengyu out.

Hu Chengyu stopped and turned to Meng Yiyi, “Miss Meng, please go back.”

Meng Yiyi shrugged, “We’re both in the same boat. You have to deal with your dad, and I have to deal with mine.”

*

Meanwhile, Shen Yan and Shen Lin finally arrived home. Shen Yan, trailing slightly behind Shen Lin, noticed his lean shoulders and asked, “Your foot is better?”

“It was just a minor sprain, and it doesn’t hurt anymore,” Shen Lin said, tapping his toes a couple of times to show he was fine.

Shen Lin hesitated before asking, “Hey brother, have you really moved on from Hu Chengyu?”

Shen Yan didn’t understand why Shen Lin brought this up. Before their time in Cloud City, he would have nodded without hesitation, but after spending time together recently, saying he felt nothing would be a lie.

However, no matter what, he was determined not to get emotionally involved with Hu Chengyu again.

He nodded slightly and whispered, “Yeah.”

Shen Lin seemed to relax, “Good.”

Then he added, almost conspiratorially, “I heard from a friend that Uncle Hu is planning to arrange a marriage for Hu Chengyu with the Meng family from Zhu City, a rising star in the business world.”

Shen Yan was taken aback. This had indeed happened in his previous life, but it was over a year later.

By then, the Shen family was already embroiled in various troubles, and he had been in the hospital.

However, Hu Chengyu’s swift actions kept the situation from causing too much of a stir.

It wasn’t without consequences, though. The proposed marriage alliance with the Meng family caused Hu Chengyu and Hu Tianhong to drop the pretense of peace between them.

Hu Chengyu switched his major from robotics engineering to business management and used the shares left by his grandfather to officially challenge Hu Tianhong.

Why was this happening so much earlier in this life?

Could it be the butterfly effect of his actions?

No matter how he thought about it, Shen Yan couldn’t see how he was connected to the Hu family or the Meng family.

Noticing Shen Yan lost in thought, Shen Lin waved a hand in front of him, “Brother, are you really okay?”

Seeing his brother’s distracted expression, Shen Lin felt a pang of concern. “Brother, if you still have feelings for Hu Chengyu, there’s still a chance.”

In their circles, everything revolved around strategic alliances. Business partnerships were the norm, and even two men could be married off for the sake of business.

Shen Yan reached out and tousled his younger brother's hair a few times. "What are you talking about? Stop overthinking it."

"Besides, nothing will come of Hu Chengyu and the Meng family. Do you really think Hu Chengyu would let anyone push him around?"

Shen Lin muttered under his breath, "Well, why not? Didn't he go to Cloud City with you just because of what Lu Zhao said?"

Shen Yan was lost in thought and didn't catch what he said. "What was that?"

"N-nothing. You must be tired, bro. Sit down and rest for a bit. I'll make you some noodles."

Shen Shubai was a traditionalist, and every time Shen Lin came back from a trip, he'd have Aunt Wang prepare a bowl of noodle soup.

"You get dumplings when you leave and noodles when you return."

This used to be one of the few things Shen Lin could brag about to Shen Yan. But now, he was willing to cook the noodles for him himself.

If someone had told Shen Lin a month ago that he'd be cooking for Shen Yan, he would have rolled his eyes.

But now, he just wanted to share some of that warmth with Shen Yan.

Shen Yan sat on the couch, feeling a bit uneasy. In his past life, when only the two of them were left in the family, he had eaten food made by Shen Lin, which had been a torture to his taste buds.

But seeing Shen Lin's enthusiasm, he didn't know how to turn him down.

What was he supposed to do?

While Shen Yan was feeling uneasy, Shen Lin had already finished cooking the noodles and brought the bowl over to him.

Shen Yan eyed him suspiciously. "Xiaolin, did you do something to me?"

Shen Lin's behavior was a bit off, like he was trying too hard to make amends.

Shen Lin scratched his head, looking a bit awkward. "I just wanted to apologize. This was the first time you asked me to do something, and it didn't go well."

Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief. The whole Cloud City thing was over, and he hadn't dwelled on it.

Only then did he focus on the noodles, his gaze lingering for a moment.

The broth was light, with a poached egg on top. The noodles were neatly separated, sprinkled with chopped green onions and cilantro, the green contrasting nicely with the milky white noodles, making it look quite appetizing.

There was a faint, refreshing aroma.

Shen Yan eyed Shen Lin suspiciously. "Xiaolin, did you really cook these noodles?"

Then he craned his neck to peek into the kitchen, but the living room was too large, and the dining area blocked his view.

Shen Lin, also curious, glanced over. "Bro, what are you looking at?"

"To see if you hid Aunt Wang in there."

Shen Lin: "... Shen Yan!"

Shen Lin huffed, a bit annoyed, and reached out to snatch the bowl of noodles from Shen Yan. "If you don't want to eat it, forget it!"

Shen Yan hurriedly tried to protect the bowl, but in the struggle, some of the hot soup splashed onto the inside of his wrist. The skin quickly turned red and felt numb from the burn.

Shen Lin was a bit upset but quickly grabbed a tissue to clean it up for him.

"He snapped, 'What are you trying to snatch?'"

"Shen Yan looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. 'Didn’t you start it?'"

"Shen Lin: ...'I got so mad I couldn’t think straight.'"

"Shen Lin stood up, grabbed some ice from the fridge, wrapped it in a paper towel, and handed it over. 'Here, use this to ice it.'"

"Author’s Note:"

"I’m here, folks!"

"Thanks a bunch, everyone!"