Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Since they were going to meet Yue Lanshan, preparations had to be made in advance. In just one night, all the information about Yue Lanshan over the years was thoroughly investigated and handed to Tian Ruan and Yu Shang.

It aligned closely with the original book’s portrayal. All these years, Yue Lanshan had never held a proper job, mooching off wealthy women to survive. Even his daughter’s medical expenses depended on handouts from those female bosses.

When the documents reached Yu Shang’s hands, his brow instantly darkened, his eyes turning frosty.

Tian Ruan understood his feelings. For as many years as his birth mother had been gone, his birth father had been playing the field, seemingly living it up without a hint of remorse. What had that marriage even meant?

And what had "Yue Tong" meant?

After a moment, Yu Shang regained his usual indifferent and detached expression and said, "I’ll go give the teacher a heads-up."

The summer camp wrapped up today, and everyone was set to return. The round-trip tickets had been booked long ago. Tian Ruan thought for a moment and said, "I’ll go refund my ticket. That’s 2,500 yuan down the drain."

Yu Shang said nothing, heading off alone to find the teacher. He still had to clue in Xi Qin and Xie Tangyan.

Tian Ruan asked about the ticket refund in the summer camp group chat. The teacher handling it confirmed the refund and promised to wire the money back.

Wang Weiqi: @Tian Ruan, bro, where are you going? Let me tag along.

Classmate A: @Tian Ruan, I’ll take that first-class seat—send it my way.

Tian Ruan: @Classmate A, sure, DM me.

Tian Ruan: @Wang Weiqi, no can do.

Classmate B: @Tian Ruan, I’ll pay 3,000 for the first-class seat.

Classmate C: I’ll pay 4,000.

Classmate A: I’ll pay 5,000.

Wang Weiqi: I’ll pay 20,000.

Tian Ruan: 20,000 it is.

Others: Talk about throwing money away.

Lu Qiuyan: I’ll bid 19,999 for first-class, DM me.

Wang Weiqi: …

A few minutes later, Lu Qiuyan strolled out of the elevator, unhurried, with his backpack, slouching into the hotel lobby sofa, his gaze meeting Tian Ruan’s.

"I knew you’d stay," Tian Ruan edged in with a grin.

Lu Qiuyan remained unfazed. "Easy ten grand in profit. They’ve got more money than sense."

"You used to be like that too," Tian Ruan remarked offhandedly.

The original book had described Lu Qiuyan as the poster child for spoiled rich kids—tossing stacks of cash at beggars from his Rolls-Royce, jet-setting with friends, unfazed even when his luggage got stolen, knowing a single call to his father’s secretary would have cash delivered to him pronto.

As for seasonal clothes, he’d clear out entire boutiques, amassing enough clothes to change twice daily and never repeat.

"Spending like there’s no tomorrow" didn’t even cover it. Back then, Lu Qiuyan’s mother was a career woman who hardly gave him the time of day, and his father’s idea of parenting was wiring cash, not affection.

Later, the family went bankrupt and was saddled with debts, leaving Lu Qiuyan to shoulder the burden of supporting the household. He experienced the hard knocks of life firsthand, falling from grace.

It was nothing short of a miracle that Lu Qiuyan didn’t turn out messed up in such an environment.

If it were any other protagonist, there’d be some degree of corruption—daily edgy rants like "I control my own destiny!" or "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don’t mock the youth for their poverty!"

But Lu Qiuyan wasn’t like that. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work, his biggest advantage being that he never lost a fight.

"How did you know?" Lu Qiuyan eyed Tian Ruan suspiciously, sensing that he seemed to know a lot. "Are you really some kind of little fortune-teller?"

Tian Ruan dramatically counted on his fingers. "You might punch Yue Lanshan."

Lu Qiuyan raised an eyebrow, defiantly scoffing, "I’ll make sure to break your little prophecy."

Tian Ruan only smiled without answering. The original novel had spelled it out—when the *main couple* went to see Yue Lanshan, the latter’s harsh words provoked Zhu Jueshou into throwing a punch, leaving Yue Lanshan too scared to make a peep.

After that, their "father-son" relationship shattered completely, and Mr. Yu visited Yue Lanshan less and less.

This time, the plot had jumped ahead. Tian Ruan wasn’t sure if Lu Qiuyan would still punch Yue Lanshan—he’d only said "might," not "definitely." If Yue Lanshan didn’t get hit, he’d be disappointed.

After waiting about half an hour, Yu Shang approached from the direction of the meeting room. Seeing Lu Qiuyan still there, he asked, "Aren’t you going back?"

Lu Qiuyan: "I sold my ticket for 19,999."

Yu Shang didn’t bother asking who the sucker was who bought it. "Tian Ruan and I have something to do. Want to book another ticket?"

Tian Ruan immediately cut in, "Lu Qiuyan’s coming with us. He doesn’t know his way around here—what if he gets kidnapped?"

Lu Qiuyan: "Yeah, I’m only three years old."

"..."

Even such a humorous remark didn’t even crack a smile from Yu Shang, who just looked at him like he was an idiot.

Lu Qiuyan stood up, irritation creeping into his voice. "You *gained* a dad, not *buried* one. What’s with the gloom? You’re annoying to look at."

Yu Shang met his gaze. "Let’s go."

Lu Qiuyan felt like he’d punched a pillow—only growing more frustrated. Maybe I really will punch that scumbag father of his, he thought.

Their luggage was loaded into a sapphire-blue limo that had arrived to pick them up—what Tian Ruan liked to call their *war chariot*.

On the road, Tian Ruan took a sip of iced tea and texted Yu Jingmo: *Mr. Yu, I’m heading to the battlefield. Await my glorious victory.*

Yu Jingmo: Hmm/rose

Tian Ruan: Can I do it my way?

Yu Jingmo: Sure.

Tian Ruan: Is the orphanage you sponsor still hiring?

Yu Jingmo: Hiring? If you mean staff, they probably aren’t short-staffed.

Tian Ruan: I meant—are they still taking in children?

Yu Jingmo: They accept them year-round.

Tian Ruan: That’s good.

Yu Jingmo: Go ahead and do whatever you want. I’ve got your back.

Tian Ruan: Okay/kiss

Yu Jingmo: /kiss

A plan began to take shape in Tian Ruan’s mind.

Though Yue Lanshan was despicable, the girl named Yue Nuonuo was truly pitiful. She’s not even eight yet and is about to pass away so young. Perhaps Yue Lanshan’s early appearance was precisely because of Yue Nuonuo.

If they saved Yue Nuonuo, maybe this karmic tie could be severed.

Of course, they had to consider Yu Shang’s feelings—after all, this girl was, by blood, his half-sister.

Tian Ruan asked, “Yu Shang, do you hate Yue Lanshan?”

Yu Shang froze, his brows furrowing again. He wasn’t sure.

“Then do you hate his daughter?”

“?” Yu Shang said, “He’s one thing, his daughter’s another. Why would I hate a little girl?”

“Then would you be willing to save her?”

“The Yu family donates $500 million to charity projects every year. One more won’t change anything.”

Tian Ruan nodded. “I understand.”

To Yu Shang, Yue Nuonuo was no different from any other child in need of aid—his stance wouldn’t change just because of Yue Lanshan. This was also part of what made Yu Shang such a compelling protagonist—he would never punish those around someone for that person’s mistakes.

“That’s my boy,” Tian Ruan added.

Yu Shang: “…I’m me, and you’re you.”

Tian Ruan murmured into Lu Qiuyan’s ear, “He’s all tough talk but soft-hearted.”

Lu Qiuyan pushed Tian Ruan’s face away. “Don’t get so close to me.”

Seizing the chance, Tian Ruan gave a playful puff of air. “Are your ears sensitive too? Yu Shang, remember that?”

Yu Shang: “…”

Lu Qiuyan clenched his fist. “Wanna be my first punching bag?”

Tian Ruan pulled his head in, as if shrinking like a turtle into its shell. As a stepfather, he had truly worn himself thin worrying about his son and daughter-in-law.

When they arrived at the hospital, the three stepped out of the car only to be greeted by the scorching sun overhead.

Tian Ruan took a deep breath and said, "This feels like the day the turtle’s dad opens the door for the turtle—turtles all the way down."¹

Lu Qiuyan asked, "Who's the turtle?"

Tian Ruan replied, "...I was just making an analogy."

Yu Shang’s previously chaotic mood had now twisted into a tangled mess of frustration. Without a word, he strode ahead.

Tian Ruan held Lu Qiuyan’s hand with his left and Yu Shang’s with his right. "Don’t worry, Daddy’s got your back."

The two ungrateful kids shrugged him off simultaneously and walked side by side toward the inpatient building.

Tian Ruan hurried after them. "Wait for me!"

Unable to squeeze between them, he ended up walking beside Lu Qiuyan, flashing a mysterious smile—the sight of the main pair sticking so close together was simply too adorable.

In the lobby of the inpatient building, Yue Lanshan was pacing restlessly like a caged tiger.

Last night, he had learned from Assistant Xu that his “son” would visit today. The news kept him awake all night, rehearsing possible scenarios for their meeting.

In the end, the central issue remained money.

Yue Lanshan had woken up as early as four or five in the morning, shaved carefully, gelled his hair, and dressed neatly to make a better impression. Their last meeting had been too rushed—he needed to restore his image.

From five o’clock until now, aside from buying breakfast for his daughter Nuonuo, he had been pacing around the inpatient building, prompting nurses to ask several times whether he needed help.

As the meeting time approached, Yue Lanshan finally polished his prepared speech to perfection. The moment Yu Shang’s tall, upright figure appeared, he exclaimed, "Beloved son, long time no see! I’ve missed you so much every single moment, and finally, you’re here!"

Yu Shang stopped mid-step, shooting a cold glare at the middle-aged man.

Tian Ruan quipped, "Dear washed-up dad, long time no see! We didn’t miss you at all, not even for a second, yet here you are anyway."

Yue Lanshan: "..."

Lu Qiuyan clapped enthusiastically. "You two should write some matching punchlines and hang them in the inpatient building to entertain the patients. Laughter is the best medicine—who knows, maybe some illnesses will actually heal."

Tian Ruan shyly responded, "If it really works that well, I might as well become Dr. Feelgood."

Lu Qiuyan asked, "Dr. Feelgood, can you cure brain rot?"

Tian Ruan nodded. "I can."

Lu Qiuyan said, "There’s a prime specimen right here."

Tian Ruan looked around before fixing his gaze on Yue Lanshan. "Who?"

Yue Lanshan: "..."

Lu Qiuyan didn’t specify. The two bantered like a comedy duo—one setting up the joke, the other delivering the punchline, leaving the rest for the audience to interpret.

Other visitors cast curious glances at the group—a trio of stylish young people and a middle-aged man who seemed put-together but was clearly fraying at the edges, as though they belonged to completely different worlds.

Yu Shang finally spoke, "Let’s go see your daughter first."

Yue Lanshan returned to the present with a forced, unsteady smile. "Yes, yes..." As they neared the elevator, he looked at Tian Ruan and Lu Qiuyan. "Why did you bring your friend along?" The saying "The turtle's father opens the door for the turtle, the turtle has come home," is a pun. "Turtle" literally refers to the animal but is also a slang term for a cuckold or a bastard. The phrase suggests something ridiculous or futile, akin to the English expression "turtles all the way down."

The elevator was surrounded by waiting people. Yu Shang pointed at Tian Ruan without hesitation, "He's my dad's partner, my father's wedding object."

Yue Lanshan stared at Tian Ruan in near horror, "Is... is he even eighteen?"

"Twenty."

"..."

The elevator was silent.

When it stopped on the sixteenth floor and the four stepped out, Yue Lanshan glanced at Lu Qiuyan, "Then is this one also your dad's partner?"

Lu Qiuyan: "..."

Yu Shang spoke through gritted teeth, "No, he's my friend."

Tian Ruan almost choked on his own saliva, coughing twice, "Mr. Yu isn't like you, playing the field."

Yue Lanshan put on a strained smile, "Since we're both Yu Shang's fathers, let's talk properly."

"Yu Shang hasn't acknowledged you, don't flatter yourself."

"..." Yue Lanshan puffed up with middle-aged authority, "You're young. I should speak with Yu Jingmo instead."

Tian Ruan laughed, "I'm Mr. Yu's spokesperson. What I say is what he says. Whatever you want to say, just say it to me."

Yue Lanshan pressed his lips together. Despite his tall and sturdy appearance, his body beneath the thin fabric was gaunt, wasted by drink and debauchery. He hung his head, adopting the gentle tone he used with women, "No matter what, Yu Shang shares my blood. He's my son. You must admit that."

"What if I don't?"

"..." If they refused to admit it, Yue Lanshan had no leverage—but he’d find a way. Worst case, he could make a scene outside Deyin, or at the Yu family's doorstep.

He’d get the money one way or another.

Years of relentlessly shameless sponging off women had taught him how to be persistent. Only money in hand was real.

At the hospital room door, Yue Lanshan pushed it open and smiled at the little girl on the bed hooked up to an IV, "Nuonuo, Daddy brought some friends. Look."

Yue Nuonuo was two months shy of eight, but years of battling illness had left her tiny, looking no older than five or six. Only her plump, baby-fat cheeks retained some fullness, while her large eyes were dull.

"Nuonuo, say hello."

Yue Nuonuo opened her mouth a little but couldn’t speak. It had been so long since she’d interacted with anyone besides doctors and nurses.

Tian Ruan stared, stunned, at the little girl. She was so young. If the story went as planned, she wouldn’t live much longer—and before then, Yue Lanshan would abandon her.

"H-hello, big brothers," Yue Nuonuo forced out with difficulty, her voice soft and sugary.

Lu Qiuyan fought to keep his face blank, not too cold. "Hello."

Tian Ruan lifted a plastic bag of snacks, "Little sister, I got you some snacks."

Yue Nuonuo started to smile, but Yue Lanshan cut her off, "She can't eat random snacks."

Tian Ruan: "I checked. I read the ingredients. These are all okay for her condition. A bit won’t hurt."

Yue Lanshan insisted, "She can't eat them. Doctor’s orders."

"Oh? Did the doctor also say she could eat ginseng, bird’s nest soup, and shark fin? Why didn’t you buy those for her? Did the doctor say gold or jewelry or storybooks would cheer her up? Why haven’t you?"

"..."

Yu Shang glanced around the room—there wasn’t a single book in sight. He asked, "She doesn’t go to school?"

Yue Lanshan replied, "She’s ill and can’t go to school."

No school meant she couldn’t read, and if she couldn’t read, she couldn’t enjoy books. Yu Shang stared at Yue Lanshan. "So you never taught her either?"

"...She’s sick. Too much activity or mental strain isn’t good for her. The doctor said so."

A little girl nearly eight years old, yet she couldn’t even recognize letters—Tian Ruan was stunned. Apparently, Yue Lanshan didn’t just neglect Yu Shang; there was also Yue Nuonuo.

No matter how swamped Yue Lanshan was, he couldn’t possibly lack the time to teach his daughter basic literacy. It was sheer laziness—he expected someone else to raise his daughter, only to later leech off her like he did with Yu Shang.

Maybe Yue Lanshan loved his daughter a little—or at least thought he did—but it was a shallow love at best. Deep down, he was still a shirker—irresponsible and unrepentant.

Yue Nuonuo was stuck in this hospital room with nothing to do, yet Yue Lanshan still thought he loved her. In reality, his daughter was already showing signs of psychological distress—otherwise, she wouldn’t have died so soon after being cast aside.

Tian Ruan felt sick to his stomach, truly disgusted for the first time. Even Lu Qiuyan’s old man wasn’t this terrible—at least he spent most of the month bedridden, his antics as harmless as a light rain.

But Yue Lanshan? Everything he did was a train wreck.

He took a deep breath, the antiseptic hospital smell hitting his nose. Tian Ruan looked at the little girl on the bed and asked seriously, "Nuonuo, would you like to go to school?"

"School?" Yue Nuonuo widened her eyes curiously.

"Yeah." Even in an orphanage, she could attend school. "At school, you could read books, make friends, and play games like jump rope, kickball, or hide-and-seek."

"No, that’s too dangerous. What if Nuonuo gets hurt—" Yue Lanshan refused sternly. "The risks would be too great."

Tian Ruan: "You worry about her getting hurt physically, but have you considered the damage to her mind?"

"What?"

"Mr. Yue, let’s talk outside."

Yue Lanshan glanced at his daughter. "Behave and stay here. Don’t go running off and making a mess."

Yue Nuonuo lowered her eyes. "Okay."

Tian Ruan rolled his eyes, his righteous anger flaring up. "Nuonuo, from now on, you can run and play as much as you want. You’re not causing trouble. You’re a child—adults should handle their own problems. You’re not a problem. You’re a sweetheart."

Yue Nuonuo didn’t quite get it, but she nodded anyway. "Goodbye, brother."

Yue Lanshan gave Tian Ruan a strange look, a thought flickering in his mind. "Let’s talk."

On his way out, Lu Qiuyan handed Yue Nuonuo a lollipop. "This one’s milk-flavored. There’s also blueberry and grape. No more than two a day."

Yue Nuonuo: "Thank you, brother."

Lu Qiuyan pointed at Yu Shang. "He’s your real brother."

"He’s too scary. Pass."

Yu Shang: "..."

Lu Qiuyan chuckled. "He might seem a little scary, but it’s not about you. That’s just how he is."

Yu Shang didn’t reply and walked out.

The four of them took seats at the café diagonally across from the hospital, ordering four cups of coffee. The others all opted for basic black coffee, while Tian Ruan chose a caramel latte.

Tian Ruan: "Coffee without sweetness has no soul."

Yu Shang: "My dad also likes drinking soulless black coffee."

Yue Lanshan assumed it was about him: "Haha, I’m not that bad."

Tian Ruan: "We were talking about Mr. Yu, not you. Talk about a golden ego!"

Yue Lanshan: "..."

Yu Shang didn’t bother saving Yue Lanshan from his embarrassment either, said flatly, "The reason we’re here today is mainly to ask about your daughter’s specific condition and how much funding she needs."

Yue Lanshan had already calculated the numbers—his daughter’s illness would cost around 200,000 a year, but asking for over 300,000 wouldn’t raise suspicions. Skimming 100,000 would be easy. Ideally, he could jack up the price.

Now, the opportunity to raise the price had arrived.

Yue Lanshan asked Tian Ruan, "Do you want to adopt my daughter?"

Tian Ruan: "?"

"If you want to adopt her, it’s not impossible. I want five million."

"..."

Lu Qiuyan sipped his coffee. "Mr. Yue shouldn’t be drinking coffee. He should be eating meat—what a lion’s mouth you’ve got."

Tian Ruan exclaimed, "And dripping with greed. Yu Shang, what do you think?"

Yu Shang frowned. "Disgusting."

Tian Ruan nodded. "Very disgusting."

Yue Lanshan’s expression soured. "Five million isn’t much, is it? She’s a girl—when she grows up, she can even pop out heirs for the Yus."

The sheer absurdity of his words hit Tian Ruan like a slap, reeling from the vulgarity. "That’s so vile—utterly vile!"

Lu Qiuyan set down his coffee and rolled up his sleeves. "Hey mystic, you really do have some skills. You called it."

—With one punch, Lu Qiuyan struck Yue Lanshan square in the nose.

Blood mixed into the coffee, turning it a grotesque shade.

It took a full five seconds before Yue Lanshan yelped in pain, frantically smearing at his nose with the back of his hand, only making it worse. "Ow! What the fuck?!"

Customers at other tables turned to look, and upon witnessing the violence, quickly bailed on their drinks and fled.

Lu Qiuyan: "Just doing my civic duty."

Tian Ruan clapped enthusiastically, eyes shining. "That's our Lu, always heroic."

Yu Shang stared in disbelief at Yue Lanshan, whose nose was gushing blood, and grabbed Lu Qiuyan's arm. "What are you doing?"

Lu Qiuyan shrugged, "Tian Ruan predicted I’d punch someone today. Figured he deserved it, so I did."

"?"

"He really is a fortune-teller. Nailed it."

"..."

Tian Ruan nervously counted on his fingers, calculating back and forth: "I also calculated that Mr. Yu would transfer five million to me, and then I'd send Yue Lanshan fifty cents."

Yu Shang: "That might also be accurate."

Five minutes later, Yue Lanshan sat with both nostrils plugged full of white tissues, glaring furiously at Lu Qiuyan across the table and Tian Ruan beside him. "This is utterly disgraceful! A gentleman argues, doesn't fight—don’t you know that?"

Tian Ruan: "If you were a gentleman, pigs would fly and piss on you."

"...Disgraceful!"

"Quit being so pretentious." Tian Ruan took a bite of the small cake handed to him by the staff and said, "Let’s be perfectly clear. It’s not that your daughter isn’t worth five million—it’s that *you* aren’t worth five million. Fifty cents is all you get - like it or lump it."

"No!" Yue Lanshan fumed.

Tian Ruan shrugged. "Then I guess we have no choice. We’ll just have to beat you up, strip you naked, and stuff you into a roadside trash can, waiting for the sanitation workers to rescue you tomorrow."

"..."

Yu Shang tapped his fingers lightly on the table. After understanding Yue Lanshan’s intentions, he felt like a weight had been lifted. Indeed, he should never have held any expectations for this man.

After years apart, Yue Lanshan showed not a shred of remorse—he just saw Yu Shang as a walking ATM.

"I’ll pay the five million," Yu Shang said coldly. "But from now on, you stay away from the Yu family."

Yue Lanshan’s lips twitched, his face showed confusion but mostly poorly-hidden delight. "Fine, I promise."

Tian Ruan scoffed. "Yue Lanshan’s promises aren't worth shit. Yu Shang, you really believe him?"

"I mean what I say!" Yue Lanshan said with fake conviction.

Yu Shang stared at him. "This five million is to sever all blood ties between us."

"Done, done." Yue Lanshan nodded eagerly.

Yu Shang stood. "Let’s get out of here."

Tian Ruan didn’t move. "Before that, let’s discuss the bride price. Mr. Yue, when Yu Shang gets married, as his birth father, you ought to chip in. Nothing crazy—just five million, how about that?"

Yue Lanshan: "..."

Forget about five million—now Tian Ruan wouldn't give him the time of day. The thought killed him.