Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Shi Yu helped An Nuo to his feet.

It had been quite a fall—perhaps heaven’s retribution for An Nuo’s impure thoughts, as he was still unsteady, his knee seemingly injured.

"Who are they? Do you know them?" Shi Yu asked. "Don’t worry, I’ve got you."

Unable to stand firmly, An Nuo naturally leaned against Shi Yu, inhaling the scent of roses and lychee from him, feeling a sense of protected security.

Just moments ago, he had been boldly talking back to them, but now, with Shi Yu’s gentle inquiry, a genuine pang of emotion welled up inside him.

So this was what it felt like to have an elder’s unwavering support in such situations.

It brought peace of mind.

It instilled a fearless courage.

An Nuo choked back a sob: "...I’ve met them a few times before."

A few simple words were enough to clarify their relationship.

Acquaintances, but not close—even hostile.

"...I was just here trying on clothes when they suddenly came over to mock me. I couldn’t stand it and retorted a few times, and then they tried to hit me."

This was the unvarnished truth; An Nuo didn’t lie or fabricate a single word.

Upon hearing this, Shi Yu understood—a petty squabble between young people. Was it serious? No major disaster had occurred. Was it not serious? Only because An Nuo had called for him and he happened to be nearby; otherwise, who could guarantee the outcome?

The staff looked concerned and anxious, asking if An Nuo was hurt, inviting him to rest, and offering to check his injuries.

But Shi Yu wasn't leaving. With a stern face, he looked at Arlo and Andrew and demanded they apologize to An Nuo.

But why would they apologize?

Although they had likely heard of Shi Yu in news reports, meeting him in person was another matter entirely—they didn’t recognize him at all.

Their family backgrounds weren't insignificant either; their parents were both influential figures.

They had already prejudged Shi Yu as the sugar daddy An Nuo had latched onto, and seeing he was an omega, they felt a touch of disdain.

"Why should we apologize to him?"

"I didn’t even touch him. He slipped and couldn’t stand steadily—how is that our problem?"

It was clear they were frequent customers at this store; the staff knew them and tried to remind them who Shi Yu was, but they weren’t buying it.

"If anyone should apologize, it should be him to us."

"Weren’t you all tough and sharp-tongued just now? Why are you acting all helpless now? Those two insults you hurled at us are enough for us to sue you for defamation!"

They spoke with conviction and self-righteousness.

As if they weren’t the ones who had initiated the provocation—as if they were the victims.

An Nuo desperately wanted to retaliate, hundreds of vicious phrases swirling in his mind, but he bit his tongue, not wanting to ruin his image in front of Shi Yu.

This was infuriating!

He would definitely tell Lu Yunyan when he got back and get Lu Yunyan to beat them up!

An Nuo glared, biting back what he wanted to say.

Just then, Shi Yu reached out and gently squeezed his shoulder, as if sending a signal of reassurance.

When he spoke again, his usually gentle tone had transformed into a forceful and cold one An Nuo had never heard before: "In that case, let’s check the surveillance footage and see what really happened."

As soon as he finished speaking, three bodyguards who had been waiting outside entered.

Each nearly two meters tall, built and muscular, with the presence of someone who could take out a few guys like An Nuo with a single punch.

Their mere presence left not only Arlo and Andrew stunned but also An Nuo a little dumbfounded.

Shi Yu said, "Until this matter is resolved, nobody’s going anywhere."

Andrew: "...What do you mean? Are you trying to restrict our personal freedom?"

Shi Yu gave a cold laugh: "If that’s what you think, you can call the police now. But until they arrive, I call the shots here. No one leaves."

Shi Yu turned to the store staff: "Pull up the security footage."

The staff tried to calm down Shi Yu, as if they were the ones at fault, repeatedly apologizing and hoping Shi Yu would be lenient and not pursue the matter further.

Shi Yu frowned: "My child may have been physically threatened here. Are you refusing to cooperate and attempting to cover up the truth for the wrongdoers?"

My child.

These two words echoed in An Nuo’s ears, sending a tingling sensation through his heart, moving him nearly to tears.

So this was what it felt like to be firmly protected by a parent.

Seeing Shi Yu’s resolute attitude, the staff immediately fell silent and hurried to retrieve the surveillance footage.

Andrew and Arlo also contacted their families and called the police, adopting a stance ready to dig their heels in.

The situation had truly escalated.

It completely exceeded anything An Nuo could have imagined, and he had no way of predicting how it would unfold. He started feeling guilty.

Shi Yu noticed his subtle emotional shift and softly comforted him: "It’s alright. I believe you’re not at fault. Wait for me to deal with them."

Before the parents of both sides arrived, the store’s surveillance footage was retrieved.

The images were clear, the dialogue audible, fully capturing the entire process: Arlo and Andrew actively provoking An Nuo, An Nuo initially staying quiet and enduring it while trying to avoid them, then beginning to counterattack, and finally, as the other party moved to strike, he avoided them but unfortunately fell.

Arlo stubbornly insisted: "See? He fell on his own. I never even touched him."

"He fell because he threw clothes around and stepped on them—it has nothing to do with anyone else."

"Who said I was going to hit him? Did I touch him? He overreacted; I was just joking with him."

"You all heard him attack our appearances first. I could sue him for defamation; joking with him is already being polite."

With this kind of truth-twisting rhetoric, it was hard to say he was entirely wrong.

It was clear they had used this tactic to bully others frequently and were quite skilled at it.

In fact, An Nuo’s counterattacks in the surveillance footage weren’t weak—they were surprisingly fierce, somewhat beyond Shi Yu’s expectations and completely inconsistent with his impression of An Nuo.

But Arlo's excessive mudslinging completely diverted Shi Yu's attention.

An Nuo clenched his fists in anger, unable to hold back any longer. Even if it meant ruining his image, he was ready to lash out.

However, before he could speak, Shi Yu interjected, "Then who would like to explain what 'relying on a sugar daddy' means?"

Shi Yu was not one to be led by the nose by two brats; he had already pinpointed the key issue.

"An alpha, accompanied by his omega partner, actively provokes another omega, mocks his financial struggles, and insinuates that he’s relying on a sugar daddy—this goes far beyond simple insult, doesn’t it?"

"..."

A flicker of panic flashed in Andrew’s eyes as he hurriedly defended himself, "His own brother told me that! If you’re unhappy, go ask his brother!"

"Regardless of who shared this information, you have no right to say it to his face, especially using such derogatory and insulting language."

"It seems we should not only contact your parents and the police but also your school."

Shi Yu sneered, "You started with provocation for no reason, without any justification. When that didn’t work, you resorted to insults, and when faced with retaliation, you turned violent."

"Brutal, crude, and vulgar—it’s like witnessing primitive beasts."

"I’m also curious how your principal would react upon seeing this footage."

As Shi Yu spoke, his presence was no less intimidating than any alpha’s. Though he might lack a killer instinct, the hulking bodyguards beside him more than made up for it.

Andrew and Arlo’s parents arrived one after another, storming in with an aggressive demeanor, demanding to know who dared restrict their children’s freedom.

But upon recognizing Shi Yu, their attitudes did a complete 180.

The parents had seen Shi Yu a few times before and immediately identified him.

It was only then that Andrew and Arlo realized who An Nuo’s backer was—and whom they had provoked.

What was meant to be parental support backfired entirely. Instead of backing them up, their parents forced them to bow their heads and apologize.

Arlo’s parents were somewhat protective, urging him to apologize quickly without being too harsh.

But Andrew had a history, and when his parents saw it was An Nuo again—and that Shi Yu was defending him—they were stunned.

Though unsure of the relationship between An Nuo and Shi Yu, Andrew’s father slapped him across the face, the sound sharp and clear like a gunshot.

He scolded mercilessly, "You idiot! How dare you provoke him again! Haven’t you learned your lesson from last time?"

Andrew’s cheek swelled red, and he hung his head in shame.

"Apologize right now! If you ever bother him again, I’ll break both your legs!"

Shi Yu made a mental note of this remark, realizing there must have been previous incidents.

That slap filled An Nuo with great satisfaction.

He recalled how, when Andrew had been injured by him before, Andrew’s father had wanted to devour him alive—if not for An Nuo’s own father unexpectedly taking his side.

He remembered why he had agreed to marry Lu Yunyan, and now he was experiencing it again.

Power.

A weapon capable of retaliating against past injustices.

Since the police had been called, the incident required official mediation. Though it ended with Andrew and Arlo apologizing to An Nuo, the process took nearly two hours, leaving no time to select a suit.

An Nuo rarely found himself in such situations. Though he was the victim and entirely innocent, he still felt guilty toward Shi Yu for wasting so much of his time.

Once in the car, An Nuo apologized, "...Sorry, Uncle Shi Yu. We were supposed to pick a suit, but I ended up causing you trouble."

Shi Yu had returned to his gentle demeanor, as if the sharp, fierce expression had never crossed his face.

He ruffled An Nuo’s hair. "Silly child, why are you apologizing? You were the one being bullied tonight."

"Since I brought you out, of course I have to protect you."

"..."

Unfortunately, An Nuo had never been firmly chosen by a parent before, so he felt unworthy of such protection.

Though touched by the defense, guilt and self-blame lingered—he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had become a burden to Shi Yu.

"It’s just a shame we couldn’t punish them more severely."

After all, there was no actual physical harm, and both sides had exchanged insults.

If Arlo had laid a hand on An Nuo, he wouldn’t have gotten off so easily, but An Nuo’s fall had been his own doing.

"Still, I knew we couldn’t impose harsh penalties. I did what I did to make sure their parents came."

An Nuo looked at Shi Yu in confusion.

Shi Yu pinched the tip of his nose. "Because I wanted both families to understand that bullying you means offending me."

"Now they’ve offended me. There’s plenty of time—I won’t let them off easily in the future."

An Nuo was in disbelief, taking a moment to process that he hadn't misheard.

A surge of emotion welled up inside him.

In that instant, he almost wanted to ask—was it worth it, for someone like him?

He had nothing.

No background, no fallback, just himself—incapable of offering any repayment.

Was it really worth making two enemies for the sake of a nobody like him?

But meeting Shi Yu’s gentle gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

Shi Yu’s actions had already answered the question. To doubt it now would be to undermine his generosity.

...

Back home, An Nuo’s knee was still sore, but to avoid worrying Shi Yu, he acted like he was okay the entire way.

Shi Yu didn’t come inside, simply reminding him to rest well and get some sleep before leaving.

After seeing Shi Yu off, An Nuo hopped on one leg as soon as he entered, complaining to Lu Yunyan, "I had such bad luck tonight. My leg is pretty much useless."

Lu Yunyan already knew something had happened at the store but didn’t know the specifics.

Hearing An Nuo say this, Lu Yunyan frowned, "Did you get hurt outside?"

But An Nuo didn't even realize he was acting coy with Lu Yunyan.

People tend to become vulnerable when they are doted on.

In the past, he would just endure it and at most complain or curse a bit to his friends.

Now he lifted his pant leg to reveal his bruised, swollen knee and said pitifully, "...Look, it's swollen like this. It hurts so much."