Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Shen Muyun emerged from the small store, laden with bags. The weather outside had worsened, the air growing heavier with humidity and the temperature rising further.

In a daze, he felt transported back to the year he graduated from university—alone in an unfamiliar city. Though he hadn't faced such immediate trouble back then, he had been brimming with ambition, determined to achieve something. He had indeed become an associate professor, just shy of full professorship. The true turning point in his life, however, arrived at 32.

"Beep, beep, beep..."

His phone vibrated with a series of alerts.

Shen Muyun quickly freed a hand to answer the call.

"Brother Yun, I just passed your company on my way to work. Liu Yun mentioned you went to the resettlement area?"

"Yes, I came to check it out. I saw the news last night—media outlets exposed the Shen family."

"Brother Yun, hold on a second. I'm nearby. Be careful on your own."

"Okay."

Shen Muyun hung up and walked back to the fruit shop, his arms full. He was relieved that yesterday's photos had only shown Shen Liuyun's profile. The media, after all, still exercised caution with unverified gossip. As for the subsequent conflicts, they had been conveniently downplayed by those same outlets.

Seeing Shen Muyun return, the fruit shop owner pointed. "There's a small storage area in the back—a container I used for fruit. It's empty now, so you can make do there for a while. Once you find a job, you can move out. I won't charge rent, but starting tomorrow, you need to meticulously check the goods. No mistakes."

Shen Muyun nodded, glancing in the direction the owner indicated. He had never lived in such conditions. What was that saying? "Enduring hardship for no reason"—something like that.

He walked directly to the container. A central door, with a gentle push, revealed a makeshift bed of bricks, resembling a tatami mat. Beside it stood a tiny, pathetic cabinet. The space was stiflingly hot and, despite being daytime, dimly lit.

The fruit shop owner's voice came from behind. "Young man, just call me Old Li. There's no electricity back here. If you need hot water or anything, come into the shop. The key is under the flowerpot. You seem honest, so no funny business."

Shen Muyun nodded. Soon after, he heard noises from outside, signaling the arrival of customers.

"What's with all the customers today? Why is everyone coming to my fruit shop?"

Shen Muyun set down his belongings and followed the owner outside, where he saw Lu Huainan, dressed in athletic wear.

Lu Huainan winked at Shen Muyun. "Brother Yun, so you're here."

A thought sparked in Shen Muyun's mind. "Huainan, I'm not going back to the chemical plant. The owner here is letting me stay. I'll work at the fruit shop for a week while I look for another job."

Lu Huainan was momentarily stunned, then quickly replied, "We came out together. If you're not working there, neither am I. We agreed to stick together, but you sure moved fast."

"Oh, so you came out to work together? What a pity. My fruit shop can only accommodate one person at most. If that doesn't work, how about helping out at the supermarket?"

The fruit shop owner patted Shen Muyun's shoulder. "That's the one where you bought your daily necessities. She's my wife."

Shen Muyun chuckled softly. "Huainan, why don't you go help there?"

"I'll make this clear upfront. Both of you get the same deal—one week at most. Don't think about overstaying. This is a small business and can't afford idle hands. Understood?"

Lu Huainan nodded. "That works. We'll definitely find jobs within a week. Don't worry, boss."

"As for accommodation, you two can stay together in that container. There aren't many people around here anyway."

The owner pointed to the container at the back. "Right over there."

Lu Huainan nodded. "Fine. Wherever Brother Yun stays, I stay."

"It's good for young people to endure hardship. Suffering while young means better days ahead."

Lu Huainan walked inside the container. A musty smell hit him. The cramped space, barely fitting two men over six feet tall, was undeniably uncomfortable.

Lu Huainan sat on the bed, which creaked and sank noticeably.

"Be careful. Don't break it."

Lu Huainan pulled Shen Muyun down to sit beside him. "Brother Yun, why come to a place like this? You could've stayed at a hotel nearby. Isn't this uncomfortable?"

Shen Muyun broke free. "It's fine. I came to see what's going on with these displaced residents."

Lu Huainan's intense gaze made Shen Muyun's heart race. He quickly looked away. "Well, Huainan, how about we go out for a walk?"

Lu Huainan got up from the bed, which slowly regained its shape. "Sure, checking out how people live. Brother Yun, you really care about the people."

Shen Muyun playfully punched Lu Huainan's chest. "Haven't you seen the news? It's an exposé. The Shen family is acting heartlessly—ignoring problems with the resettlement housing."

"Oh? Is that so? Then, Brother Yun, let's go take a look."

The two bid farewell to the fruit shop owner and walked along the path. Few people were in the area, but the two handsome men still attracted some attention.

"Are they here to shoot a movie? So handsome!"

"Impossible. This place? Nobody comes here. It's been five years."

"Why not? Didn't you see yesterday's news? Xiao Liu and the others actually did it. They found that Shen Liuyun and managed to draw some attention."

Shen Muyun paused. In reality, those news reports had been suppressed almost as soon as they were published, and some were even taken down through PR efforts.

Shen Muyun walked ahead. Before reaching the stream, he caught a whiff of a pungent smell, like rotten eggs.

Lu Huainan immediately covered Shen Muyun's nose and mouth. "Stay away from here. It's a chemical smell—toxic."

Further ahead, they could see fish skeletons by the riverbank, which had been dead for who knows how long. A sigh came from behind them.

"This place was truly beautiful at first. It's just that chemical plant—it suddenly seemed to mutate, producing who knows what."

The two turned and saw an elderly man slowly passing by. They quickly caught up with him.

"Sir, did you say this chemical plant appeared suddenly?"

The old man shook his head. "This chemical plant used to be in the northern part of the city. After the Lu family acquired that area, this plant moved here. At first, it had a wastewater treatment system, and occasionally, we'd see thick smoke released. Later, this river became like this, around half a year ago. Nobody cares. We've complained to the city government multiple times. They always say they'll handle it, but it only improves during their inspection days, then starts again."

Shen Muyun and Lu Huainan exchanged a helpless glance.

"Sir, why didn't you take the resettlement housing?"

The old man stopped. "Young man, I've wanted to return for a long time. It's been five years. I'm not young anymore. My wife died here without seeing hope of returning. Initially, they said they'd provide basic living expenses and temporary resettlement. The payments came on time, but three years ago, they said the resettlement buildings were ready. Someone from the Shen family came and said we could draw lots. If unsatisfied, we could exchange apartments or floors. We believed it, but it was a sham."

Shen Muyun wondered who the Shen family could have sent. He hadn't been in the country a few years ago, and Shen Liuyun wouldn't have come personally for something like this.

"Some were lucky and got what they wanted in the draw. Some younger folks preferred higher floors, saying it was quieter. But for us older ones, we wanted lower floors. The remaining apartments were all above the 25th floor. If the power goes out, wouldn't that be dangerous for us?"

Shen Muyun sighed. "Then, sir, haven't you tried communicating with them?"

"Of course we have. When we went there, the front desk was accommodating, but there was this man who always interfered, saying their general manager wasn't in, or the project manager wasn't available, and so on."

Shen Muyun thought about it and had his suspicions about who it was, but it wasn't appropriate to say.

"And so it dragged on. Then the chemical plant moved here. That man came again, saying they could relocate us again, and that the Shen family was building another resettlement building there—half for resettlement, half for sale. But relocating again would cost money. We've been paying out of pocket for a long time."

Shen Muyun nodded.

"Never mind, never mind. Who knows how much time I have left? I might not even live to see tomorrow."

The old man walked away without looking back.

Shen Muyun shook his head helplessly. The foul smell from the river irritated his stomach, making him feel unwell. He pulled Lu Huainan along, quickening their pace, and fanned the air, which made him feel slightly better.

Seeing Shen Muyun uncomfortable, Lu Huainan took two plum candies from his pocket. "Brother Yun, sour stuff helps best with nausea."

Shen Muyun took the candy from Lu Huainan, wondering what else this man kept in his pockets.

He unwrapped the candy and put it in his mouth. The sour taste spread, relieving much of his discomfort.

"Better now. It’s just that the smell is really awful."

Lu Huainan leaned in with concern, resting a hand on Shen Muyun’s back. "Brother Yun, if you’re not feeling well, I can ask Dr. Qi to check on you. Actually, Bai Muxuan could too—he practices traditional Chinese medicine."

Shen Muyun smiled. "It’s nothing, don’t worry. I’m feeling better now."

Shen Muyun cursed under his breath. This body was truly frail. Tomorrow—no, a week after his hangover—he’d definitely hit the gym. He couldn’t afford to waste away and die before even three years had passed.

"Then, Brother Yun, let’s rest for a bit. Our itinerary's been jam-packed lately."

"Mm, after this busy period, I wanna take a vacation. I already have a place in mind, just never found the time."

Lu Huainan blinked. "Brother Yun, can you squeeze me into your travel plans?"

Shen Muyun unwrapped another plum candy and popped it directly into Lu Huainan’s mouth. "No room for you. I’m vacationing alone. Besides, we're already sticking too close. Look, even though there aren’t many people on the street, they’re all staring at us."

"Huh? Brother Yun, is it possible they’re looking at us just because we’re handsome?"

"Hey, isn’t that the guy from earlier? Tsk, and there’s another one next to him—also pretty easy on the eyes." The leader, a guy with dyed yellow hair, blocked their path. But this time, Shen Muyun didn’t need to pretend—with Lu Huainan by his side, he felt completely at ease.

Lu Huainan sized up the group and smiled. "Were you harassing him earlier?"

"Harassment, my ass! He’s just some low-life. How many decent people could there be in a place like this? But wait, are you his sugar daddy? That doesn’t seem right either..."

Hearing the vulgar remarks, Lu Huainan grabbed the man’s wrist and wrenched it downward. A "crack" echoed—the sound of a bone breaking.

"Brothers, get them! Who cares who they are? Even if the gods themselves showed up, we’d still waste these two!"

Shen Muyun let out a bitter laugh. "Huainan, seems like we’ve been on a fighting streak lately."

Thinking Shen Muyun would be an easy target, they instead found themselves up against someone tough. Shen Muyun landed a solid kick on one of them, and a "creak" followed—the sound of a dislocated joint.

"Brother Yun, you’re amazing!"

Lu Huainan released the man’s wrist and pulled Shen Muyun into his arms, gently kissing the top of his head.

"Soft and delicate-skinned—must be a pretty boy who takes it. Disgusting. Gross!"

Lu Huainan went even further, cupping Shen Muyun’s face and giving him a soft kiss.

"These people aren’t worth our effort. My bodyguards are nearby—let them deal with it."

Shen Muyun noticed several men in sunglasses appearing behind the group of thugs. They dragged the troublemakers to the riverbank.

Screams and wails filled the air. Lu Huainan considerately covered Shen Muyun’s ears. "Better not to listen to the noise these scum make."

After a while, the ringleader who had provoked them was brought forward, his face bruised and battered, supported by one of the bodyguards.

"Tell us, how have you been pushing people around here?"

Lu Huainan tightened his arm around Shen Muyun’s shoulder, his eyes full of amusement.

"You two are like gods! We picked the wrong people to mess with. Please, have mercy and let us go!"

Lu Huainan stepped on the yellow-haired man’s hand. "But I just don’t like you. You made Brother Yun unhappy. How should you apologize for that?"

"Just say the word, sir! However you want me to make it up, I’ll do it, I swear!"

"Fine. Kneel before Brother Yun, kowtow hard a few times, and promise never to act like tyrants here again. If I catch you doing this once more, it won’t end as easily."

The man scrambled to Shen Muyun’s feet, clutching his clothes tearfully. "Sir, sir, I was blind! Please be magnanimous and forgive me this once. I’ll never dare again."

Shen Muyun kicked him away. "Words once spoken can’t be taken back, like water spilled on the ground. Remember what you said—remote places aren’t your playground for violence."

Lu Huainan waved to the bodyguards, signaling them to drag the man away.

"Brother Yun, am I dashing? Do you think they keep staring at me because I’m handsome?"

Shen Muyun pinched Lu Huainan’s nose. "Yes, you’re the most handsome."