Chapter 136

Chapter 136

Upon hearing Yu Linluo's name, Yu Shang quickly sifted through his mental network of connections for what he knew about this person: a distant branch descended from the same ancestor as the Yu family's great-grandfather, who had split off three generations ago. By Yu Linluo’s time, their family had completely declined, leaving only him as the last remaining descendant. His family ran an advertising company.

Not a big shot, yet he dared to scheme against the main family. Years ago, Yu Ba had tried to have his son adopted by Yu Jingmo, but the entire Yu family had rejected the idea outright.

Never mind that Yu Jingmo and Yu Linluo were technically uncle and nephew through a very distant connection—only two or three years apart in age anyway—it was already hard for Elder Yu to accept. Yu Ba’s intentions were crystal clear.

"Hello, distant big cousin," Yu Shang said calmly, extending a hand toward Yu Linluo.

Yu Linluo snorted coldly, meeting Yu Shang’s indifferent gaze. "Don’t pretend. I know you don’t want me here."

Yu Shang withdrew his hand. "Mm." He glanced at the guards and nodded. "Escort my cousin out."

Two burly bodyguards stepped forward and grabbed Yu Linluo by the arms.

"What are you doing?!" Yu Linluo flushed red with anger, kicking helplessly against the guards’ grip, his voice loud as a siren. "I'm Yu Jingmo’s nephew!"

Yu Shang asked, puzzled, "Dad, what does he mean?"

Yu Jingmo replied coolly, "He’s not playing with a full deck."

"Oh."

The arrival of Yu Ba and his son didn’t make a dent on the household. After camped out stubbornly outside the estate for two days, Yu Linluo realized just how cold and indifferent this family truly was. He left in a huff, furious and humiliated.

Tian Ruan hoped this punching bag would stop embarrassing himself. He wasn't Tian Yuan—trying to rehash the original plot with him would only be laughable.

In the original story, “Tian Yuan” would have noticed Yu Linluo by now, leading to their shady partnership. But now, Tian Ruan only wanted to focus on school and avoid getting dragged into dirty family politics and all sorts of messy affairs.

"Mr. Yu, my cash cow is coming to school today to film a program. Want to come watch?" Tian Ruan asked excitedly early in the morning.

"Cash cow?" Yu Jingmo put down the paper and headed into the dining room.

Tian Ruan beamed, eyes twinkling. "Yeah, it's XX."

Yu Jingmo sat down at the head of the table where the napkin and utensils were already laid out. "I have time this afternoon. I’ll drop by and pick you up after school."

"Great!"

After breakfast, Tian Ruan slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed off to school. About ten minutes away from De Yin, he hopped off like always to walk off his meal.

A bicycle bell jingled behind him. Tian Ruan turned around and waved with a smile.

Lu Qiuyan, wearing the wool gloves Tian Ruan had given him, had his collar turned up against the wind, but his ears were bright red from the cold. His fair skin made the flush on his cheeks even more noticeable.

Tian Ruan looked him over. "You really look good like this."

Lu Qiuyan rolled his eyes, his breath puffing icy air. "Yeah, winter’s nature's makeup artist for corpses."

Tian Ruan shuddered. "Cut it out. That’s creepy."

Lu Qiuyan pointed behind them. "Don’t they look like zombies to you?"

Tian Ruan turned and saw, aside from the ever-present bodyguards trailing them, students from his school, office workers, and loiterers.

The most obvious slacker among them was a young man with raccoon-eye makeup and a lip ring.

"......"

Yu Linluo was wedged between two bodyguards, growling, "What're you looking at?"

Tian Ruan: "Fresh out of jail or something?"

The surrounding students, seeing the scene unfold, quickly scattered like he was contagious.

Yu Linluo, humiliated and furious, snapped, "I was minding my own damn business when these two goons grabbed me!"

Tian Ruan: "You sure you weren't tailin’ me?"

Yu Linluo sized him up with a smirk. "Hah, didn’t expect you to still be in school. Twenty and still playing high school?"

Tian Ruan was certain Yu Linluo had been following him and warned, "Whether I’m a student or not is none of your business. If you keep meddling, you might not see next year’s sunrise."

Yu Linluo scoffed, "I don’t scare easy. Listen, little uncle, just save your breath and—"

Before he could finish, Mao Qi cut him off with an elbow strike, dropping him cold and tossing him aside on the roadside.

"......"

Mao Qi said evenly, "He’ll come to in ten; won’t die of cold. Da Zhuang, stay here and watch him."

Da Zhuang, his massive frame vibrating with determination, stood before Yu Linluo like a living wall. "Don’t worry, Brother Mao! I won’t let this disgraceful punk lust after his own uncle!"

Tian Ruan: "......You’re reading too much into it." The current Yu Linluo had no interest in "him" whatsoever.

"Him who?" Lu Qiuyan asked.

"Just some unimportant cannon fodder, like those guys you fought before."

Lu Qiuyan gave no further attention—clearly, someone insignificant.

Tian Ruan threw an arm over Lu Qiuyan’s shoulders. "Now we can go to school together, head to Class 1 together."

Lu Qiuyan, unused to physical contact, shrugged him off with a "Tch."

Undeterred, Tian Ruan slung his arm back over—only for a sudden rumble of thunder to make him instantly pull away. "Bros hug all the time, no big deal. Whatever."

Lu Qiuyan pushed his bike toward him. "Me and my bike are friends too. I'll let you ride it."

Tian Ruan eagerly hopped on, pedaled once, and immediately wiped out. "Ah... Ow ow ow!"

"Tian Ruan!"

"Babe!!"

After riding the main lead’s bicycle, Tian Ruan ended up lightly injured—his ankle twisted—and in the end, Lu Qiuyan had to give him a ride to school.

"Why didn’t you say you couldn’t ride a bike?" Lu Qiuyan muttered, annoyed. Who couldn’t ride a bike these days?

Tian Ruan gripped his sleeve, pouting. "I thought it was easy..." He’d even ridden a kiddie scooter before—though that had one big wheel and two small ones for balance.

"I’ll teach you when I have time... Actually, forget it. Let your husband handle it. He can drive anything."

"......"

Tian Ruan ran through a mental list of all the luxury cars Yu Jingmo had driven—each fancier than the last, though they always wrecked his back and legs. Hobbling into class, Tian Ruan thought he was hallucinating. But when he looked again, there was definitely a damn good-looking guy sitting in the front row.

"Nan Huaiju?"

Nan Huaiju looked at his leg, then at Lu Qiuyan who had blown past him like the wind, horrified. "He just left you like that?!"

"?"

"Your leg's all messed up and he didn't even help you up—what a total jerk!" Nan Huaiju shot an angry glare at Lu Qiuyan.

Lu Qiuyan: "..."

Tian Ruan almost choked. "I fell and hurt my leg."

Nan Huaiju gave him a skeptical look.

"Why are you in Class 1?"

Nan Huaiju’s expression turned odd as he glanced behind him. Tian Ruan followed his eyes and immediately understood. Sitting by the window in the last row was Hai Chao, coolly indifferent.

Well well, the main characters, supporting roles, and cannon fodder are all here. Class 1 is livelier than I expected.

But it's surprising that Nan Huaiju hasn’t become cannon fodder yet.

Could it be because Nan Huaiju wasn’t eliminated that fate sent another one early to fill in the plot?

The more Tian Ruan thought about it, the more sense it made. He returned to his seat, pulled out his books and phone, and saw a message from Yu Jingmo sent eight minutes ago. He tapped to open it—the message took several seconds to load before finally appearing.

Yu Jingmo: You fell? How bad is it?

Yu Jingmo: If it's serious, go to the infirmary.

Tian Ruan: I just got to class. Don’t worry, Mr. Yu, I’m fine—just twisted my ankle a little.

Yu Jingmo replied quickly: Send me a photo of your ankle.

Tian Ruan bent down, rolled up his pant leg, revealing a slender ankle wrapped in a clean white sock. He pushed the sock down slightly, showing a faint redness on the skin—not serious, probably just a minor sprain.

He snapped a picture and sent it over.

After looking at it, Yu Jingmo said: Stay off your feet today. If you have to move, use this wheelchair.

Tian Ruan: ?? Seriously, it’s not needed.

Yu Jingmo: Then stay in the classroom. You’re not allowed to go anywhere except the restroom.

Tian Ruan: Wheelchair it is! /cute

Yu Jingmo: Good. /rose

Tian Ruan sat through morning reading, trying to memorize English vocabulary, when suddenly a rush of footsteps and giggles came from outside. The girls in the room couldn’t resist joining the fan squad, all dolled up and rushing out.

They barely managed to straighten up when they saw Yu Shang pushing a wheelchair. They politely greeted him, “Good morning, President!”

Yu Shang wheeled the chair into the classroom and parked it beside Tian Ruan. “It’s electric. Here’s the manual.”

“Thanks.” Tian Ruan skimmed the instructions, then sat in the wheelchair and gave it a test run around the room. After a quick spin, he was instantly hooked. “Wow, this is easier than riding a bike!”

He patted his lap and smirked at Lu Qiuyan. “Hop on, princess.”

Lu Qiuyan: “…F*** off.”

Nan Huaiju grumbled, green with envy, “If you won’t sit, someone else will.”

Lu Qiuyan shot back, “Go ahead, sit there—see if you’re not in a wheelchair tomorrow.”

Nan Huaiju had always found Tian Ruan suspicious. All he knew was that he was Yu Jingmo’s *younger brother-in-law*. Who was the man carrying Tian Ruan that day? Could he have something to do with Yu Jingmo? Finally, he decided to look it up online.

Photos of Yu Jingmo were rare, but as a high-profile tycoon who frequently attended business events, any images that surfaced were officially sanctioned.

There were just a few, but every one iconic.

One was from ten years ago—a young man with arched brows and piercing phoenix eyes standing among various CEOs. Even then, he was front and center. His striking presence and looks radiated nobility, his regal aura cutting through the pixelated blur.

Another was from five years ago at a charity gala. Under shattered, dazzling lights, the man loomed like a jade cliff, head dipped, lashes shadowing his eyes, slender fingers holding a tall champagne flute as he toasted with a partner. The light traced his sharp, chiseled profile, like a god stepping into the mortal world.

Then came last year’s wedding photo—the man casually removing his sandalwood bead bracelet to slip it onto the “groom’s” wrist. Even without rings, the moment felt like a sacred promise. This photo was even more blurred than the one from a decade before, but upon closer inspection, the features matched perfectly.

Nan Huaiju’s hand trembled, and his phone slipped from his grip and hit the floor—

Just as Tian Ruan wheeled past, crushing the screen beneath his chair.

Tian Ruan: “….”

Nan Huaiju stared at him in horror.

Tian Ruan: “Quit staring at me like that. I’ll pay for it.”

Nan Huaiju pointed at him, shaking uncontrollably. “You—you…!”

Tian Ruan, bewildered, thought he must’ve done something unforgivable. “I really will replace your phone. Calm down.”

Nan Huaiju worked himself into such a frenzy he passed out.

Tian Ruan blinked in disbelief. “All this over a *phone*? Nan Huaiju, don’t die! I’ll buy you a new one!!”

Hai Chao walked over and kicked Nan Huaiju’s chair.

The sudden weightlessness jolted him awake. “Help! Don’t kill me—”

Hai Chao yanked him up like a ragdoll. “You’re sick. Go to the infirmary.”

Still groggy, Nan Huaiju let himself be hauled off.

Tian Ruan turned around, looking lost. “I wanna check out the drama. You guys coming?”

Only a few remained in the classroom. Yu Shang recruited, “Lu Qiuyan, come help maintain order. 300 a day.”

Lu Qiuyan: “Sold.”

Tian Ruan: “Lu Qiuyan, push me to see the action. 400 a day.”

Lu Qiuyan: “Sold.”

Yu Shang: “…As a student council inspector, could you at least *act* responsible?”

Xie Tangyan arrived at Class 1’s door and sighed. “President, the front gate’s a madhouse, and you’re here making eyes?”

Yu Shang strode off, but not before throwing Tian Ruan a look—CRACK! A thunderbolt split the sky.

So loud was the boom that the whole school froze.

Tian Ruan said with utmost seriousness, "...Lu Qiuyan, let's help the president organize things. As a member of the student council, even if my leg were broken, I'd still keep doing my duty!"

Lu Qiuyan: "Let's do it."

So they set off to work with gusto.

Mao Qi captured this moment and sent it to Yu Jingmo: *The missus is fired up today.*

Yu Jingmo: *Mhm.*

He hoped Tian Ruan would still be that energetic when he got home.