Chapter 156

Chapter 156

Bai Xu, the Bai family’s daughter, was twenty-two this year—four years older than Yu Shang. Having just graduated abroad, she had seen her fair share of handsome men with high noses and deep-set eyes, yet she still found Chinese-style good looks the most timelessly attractive.

Upon returning home, however, she realized that even among Chinese guys, few were truly impressive. Either they belonged to the entertainment industry or came from elite families who rarely showed their faces in public.

A guy who was both good-looking and from a privileged background was as rare as a unicorn.

When the Dongqing Group invited her parents to a spring banquet, she hadn’t been interested at first. But when they mentioned that the Yu family had an heir—handsome, full of energy, and once the student council president at Deyin High School—she perked up.

“A high schooler?” Bai Xu asked, slightly surprised.

“He’s only four years younger than you. In two more years, he’ll be fully grown. Go meet him—it won’t hurt,” her mother said.

Half-heartedly intrigued, Bai Xu dressed to the nines and headed to the wetland park. To her annoyance, after waiting nearly half the day, Yu Shang still hadn’t shown up. She was furious—what kind of heir skips out like this? Just another spoiled brat with a fancy title.

As she was about to leave, Yu Shang finally arrived.

In that moment, it was like spring had burst into bloom. Bai Xu thought, *A younger guy might not be so bad after all.*

After a brief conversation, she became even more convinced. Though young, Yu Shang was poised, polite, well-spoken, and sharp. A little too straight-laced, yes—but that only proved how genuine he was.

What made him even more special was his striking appearance, every bit as handsome as his father, Yu Jingmo.

She had secretly regretted that Yu Jingmo was already married, but now she was just glad she’d met his son instead.

And when Yu Shang sang? His off-key notes were weirdly cute.

Bai Xu decided to take initiative and snag this guy for herself. Molding him over a few years would be better than constantly hunting for Mr. Perfect and never finding him.

Under the drizzle and falling apricot petals, the spring chill lingered. Wrapped in a fur shawl, Bai Xu still felt cold in her snow-white dress. She shivered slightly and edged closer to Yu Shang.

He was a full head taller than her. From his angle, he could definitely see her generous cleavage. “It’s raining. So cold,” she murmured.

True to form, Yu Shang looked away and said coolly, “Miss Bai, you ought to go home.”

She smiled, lifting her eyes to meet his. “Why won’t you even look at me?”

“It’s nothing.”

“I know you’re not as indifferent as you pretend.” Bai Xu pressed closer.

Yu Shang reached out and gently pushed her back. “Miss Bai, have some self-respect.”

She chuckled. “Are you shy?”

Yu Shang was still green in these situations. He was about to walk away when he noticed two stone-faced guys watching them.

One pair of large, bright eyes, one pair icy and sharp—both glaring icily.

“…”

Bai Xu followed his gaze and let out a soft “Oh.” “Madam Yu? And who is that?”

Lu Qiuyan spun around and stormed off, long legs striding fast, his back stiff with resolve.

Yu Shang snapped back to reality and took off after him. “Lu Qiuyan!”

Lu Qiuyan didn’t turn around.

"Yu Shang?" Bai Xu hurried after him, her steps light but urgent.

Tian Ruan quickly cut the young woman off. "This is between those two—let them sort it out, Miss Bai."

Bai Xu stopped in her tracks, asking incredulously, "Who exactly are you talking about?"

Tian Ruan smiled and nodded toward the pair walking away. "Them. They have my blessing."

"..." Bai Xu nearly forgot—if she and Yu Shang ever got together, she’d have to call this man, who was younger than her, "little dad."

Tian Ruan added, "I hope you’ll keep this a secret for my son and... his husband."

Bai Xu’s lips trembled, her eyes cold as autumn streams welling with disappointment. "Is your whole family into guys?"

Tian Ruan thought for a moment. "You could say that."

"I see." Bai Xu quickly composed herself and spun on her heel, storming off. But the frustration inside her had to come out. "Well, fuck me."

Tian Ruan: "..."

The original novel never mentioned Miss Bai swearing. Life sure outdoes fiction.

Tian Ruan bounded after the main couple.

When Lu Qiuyan got angry, he stormed off blindly, somehow ending up in the wetlands. There were boardwalks where visitors could walk through lush aquatic plants—lotuses, purple loosestrife, calamus, reeds, and water lilies.

As for animals, it depended on luck. If you're lucky, you might spot egrets or swans; otherwise, just frogs.

The protagonist's luck was clearly good. A pair of white swans glided lazily among the reeds, their necks entwined, doting on each other amid tender green shoots and clear rippling water.

A drizzle dampened Lu Qiuyan’s hair and shoulders, along with the swans’ wings, but they didn’t seem to mind, dancing around each other instead.

They stirred ripples across the surface, making the reeds sway.

Lu Qiuyan didn’t even know why he was mad—he just felt irritated. He snapped a reed and lashed it at the water, scaring the swans off.

"Lu Qiuyan," Yu Shang called.

"What’s got you mad?"

Lu Qiuyan glanced up. "Who says I’m angry? I’m not."

Yu Shang almost egged him on. "Let’s go back."

"I’m going home." Lu Qiuyan brushed past him.

Yu Shang caught his wrist. "I’ll drive you."

"No thanks. I’ll call a ride."

"I’ll drive you," Yu Shang insisted.

Lu Qiuyan tried to pull free, but Yu Shang’s grip was like iron. "Let go."

"No."

"..."

Yu Shang held firm. "No."

After a brief standoff, Yu Shang relented and explained, "There's nothing between me and that Miss Bai, and there never will be."

Lu Qiuyan remained expressionless, though his face softened a little. "Why are you telling me this? I didn't ask."

"I wanted to."

"Oh."

"I'll walk you back."

"Forget it. I'm still hungry."

"Mm." Yu Shang released his wrist, but the memory of the boy's smooth skin lingered in his palm—the pulse that had raced before now gradually calming along with the warmth. Suddenly, his throat went dry. "Let's get something else to eat."

Lu Qiuyan strode ahead when he suddenly spotted a furtive, lanky figure skulking around. "Tian Ruan!"

Tian Ruan emerged from the reeds, beaming. "You two made up, huh?"

Lu Qiuyan looked uncomfortable. "Yu Shang and I didn't fight. There's nothing to 'make up' about."

Yu Shang glanced at him, the corners of his mouth quirking up slightly. "Mm."

Tian Ruan snickered but didn't press further.

The three returned to the event grounds, where the scene had completely changed.

The brief drizzle had led many vendors and guests to assume heavier rain was coming, so they started leaving. Only about two hundred people remained, and the once-bustling venue now felt peaceful and serene after the rain stopped.

Only Tian Ruan was upset about the rain-ruined food and drinks—casualties of the main couple's dramatic romance. Hotel staff cleared the soaked tableware and replaced the beverages.

All that money, down the drain, Tian Ruan lamented silently. As he glanced around, his eyes suddenly landed on Yu Jingmo and Xu Bingyang deep in conversation.

Xu Bingyang sat delicately in his wheelchair, smiling softly, his delicate features making him look harmless under the afternoon sun. When he looked up at Yu Jingmo, he gazed at him tenderly.

The onlookers shared meaningful looks.

Tian Ruan: "..."

Tian Ruan strode over, trying to sound casual. "Mr. Yu, I'm back."

Yu Jingmo naturally took his hand and brushed his damp hair into place. "You didn't even find shelter from the rain."

Tian Ruan blinked, his mask covering the lower half of his face, making his eyes appear even larger—large and dewy, with lashes like water weeds. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I was delayed by something on the way."

Yu Jingmo didn't ask for details—since Mao Qi had been following, he'd already seen most of what happened.

"Mrs. Yu," Xu Bingyang said with a tight, fake smile, his gaze flickering meaningfully toward Lu Qiuyan. "Where did you and this classmate go? This park is quite large—any recommendations?"

Tian Ruan turned his face away. "Oh, sure. On my way back, I took a detour through the wetlands. Though it's just withered lotuses and willows now, there's a certain charm to it. I recommend checking out the frogs—ribbiting nonstop. You'd probably have great conversations."

"..."

Yu Jingmo chuckled and gently steered Tian Ruan to a bench nearby. "Since there's nothing else to do, let's walk."

Tian Ruan glanced at his own legs. "I'm so tired..."

Yu Jingmo picked out some small desserts and drinks for him. "Replenish your energy."

Tian Ruan gazed at Yu Jingmo. "Just seeing you gives me energy."

"Fine, I'll have it."

"No, *I'm* eating it." Tian Ruan snatched the dessert plate away.

Yu Jingmo observed him eating, his gaze fixed solely on Tian Ruan.

Xu Bingyang, undeterred, leaned in. "Not sure which dessert is good? Any suggestions?"

Tian Ruan shrugged.

Yu Jingmo said, "That yellowish-green honey-mint cake isn't bad."

Tian Ruan shot him a glare.

Yu Jingmo remained expressionless, though a glint of mischief played at the corners of his eyes.

Xu Bingyang took him at his word, wheeling over to grab a slice of the yellowish-green cake and scooped up a bite. The moment it hit his tongue, his face cycled through shades of green, white, then purple.

Tian Ruan frowned, puzzled.

Yu Jingmo leaned closer and whispered in his ear: "Honey *and* mustard."

Tian Ruan stared at him, blinking rapidly, lips pressed together to stifle a laugh.

It took Xu Bingyang a while before he could speak again. "Yu Jingmo, this... is really spicy."

Mustard was the culinary world’s prankster—no matter what dessert or cake it touched, even a tiny bit could overwhelm the taste buds. And this five-star hotel had been especially generous with pure mustard—the green layer was a solid two-millimeter thick.

"My apologies, I must’ve mistaken it," Yu Jingmo said with perfect seriousness.

What else could Xu Bingyang do? He could only chalk it up to bad luck—he’d hoped that without Tian Yuan around, Yu Jingmo might finally show him some kindness, but he remained just as indifferent.

Still, in such a setting, Xu Bingyang had to keep things polite. "It's fine. I often eat weird stuff like this at home too."

The subtext was obvious—he was neglected at home, constantly handed unpalatable, even inedible food.

They were all shrewd business veterans; everyone caught on immediately.

Sure enough, some cast sympathetic looks toward Xu Bingyang.

It wasn’t until ten seconds later that Tian Ruan suddenly caught on. "Well, at least you've been through the worst—now you can enjoy the best."

Xu Bingyang lowered his gaze to his legs. "Hardly. With this disability, I can’t do anything right."

Spotting Xu Jiankang hanging around nearby, Tian Ruan waved him over. "Does your brother still eat scraps and weeds at home?"

"Scraps and weeds?" Xu Jiankang looked confused.

"For him, a handful of weeds and a cornmeal bun must be the most luxurious lunch in the world, right? How *pathetic*."

"..."

Tian Ruan fished out a single yuan coin and handed it to Xu Bingyang.

Xu Bingyang’s smile faded. "*Mrs.* Yu, what exactly are you implying?"

Tian Ruan placed a large bowl in Xu Bingyang’s hands and beamed, waving to the crowd. "Mr. Xu is still surviving on scraps and buns at home! Everyone, if you’ve got cash, chip in; if you’ve got strength, pitch in too—let’s all help him out!"

"..."

Gradually, more and more people gathered around Xu Bingyang, including the central romantic pair.

Yu Shang kicked things off by tossing in a hundred yuan.

Others weren’t about to be outdone, so they chipped in anywhere from a single yuan to a few hundred.

Lu Qiuyan rummaged through his pockets and came up with only one yuan and fifty cents, magnanimously plunking down the coins into the bowl with a clink.

Xu Bingyang stood frozen, his smile seemingly frozen too, watching in dismay as the bowl accumulated... well, it was technically more money—even coins as small as ten and fifty cents.

After the donations were made, everyone felt pleased with themselves, because this was the smallest amount they’d ever donated.

Xu Jiankang remained silent, quietly cast as the stingy older brother who mistreated his younger sibling, giving him nothing but "'chaff'" and plain steamed buns.

The harm was minimal, but the humiliation was immense.

Tian Ruan stepped in to express gratitude: “Thank you all for your kindness! It’s the thought that counts—Mr. Xu has received it!”

Xu Bingyang shot Tian Ruan a look that could kill.

A moment later, that icy glare was met—and stopped—by a pair of phoenix eyes.

Xu Bingyang’s voice trembled on the edge of tears as he whispered, “Yu Jingmo…”

Yu Jingmo replied calmly, “My wife is both beautiful and kind-hearted. You should thank him.”

“…”