Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Shen Liuyun flung his phone aside after reading Shen Muyun's message, then gazed out at the heavy rain. He pondered, if Shen Muyun truly allied with the Lu family, what would be the repercussions? What then? He frowned, troubled by the thought.

Seeing no reply, Shen Muyun breathed a sigh of relief. After all, this was no small matter; he needed time to compose himself. But wait—wasn't this all part of a game? He wasn't done playing yet. Was Lu Huainan truly sincere?

He glanced sideways at the person beside him, and their eyes instantly met. The air crackled with an undeniable chemistry, reaching its peak, enhanced by the dim, soft lighting of the room.

"Brother Yun, since they all know now, shouldn’t our relationship progress further?"

Shen Muyun, being an adult, naturally understood Lu Huainan's implication. He gave him a light kick. "No way, don’t even think about it."

Shen Muyun walked to his luggage, crouched down, and pulled out his camera, fiddling with it casually. Since this was a hard-earned travel opportunity, he might as well enjoy himself. As for matters in Jiangcheng, even if they blew up his phone, he wouldn’t bother responding.

"Lu Huainan, let’s go have some fun. The timing’s about right now—the sun doesn’t seem as harsh outside."

Lu Huainan grabbed Shen Muyun’s hand and dashed out of the hotel. A gentle breeze brushed their faces, and no one around paid them any attention. Further ahead lay the beach, with soft, fine sand shifting under their feet.

Lu Huainan held Shen Muyun’s hand tightly, running ahead and occasionally looking back. Seagulls soared into the sky, letting out long cries, as if annoyed by their antics, flying toward the deeper sea.

Lu Huainan deliberately led Shen Muyun farther away until fewer and fewer people were around, leaving just the two of them. Only then did Lu Huainan stop.

Shen Muyun pulled his hand back, supporting his knees with both hands, head lowered as he panted heavily. "Whew, Lu Huainan, couldn’t you run slower? Respect your elders—don’t you get it? I’m older than you; you should consider my feelings. If you keep this up, I’ll—"

Before Shen Muyun could finish, Lu Huainan wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed the corner of his lips. The scent of roses instantly burst forth, mingling with the salty sea air, witnessing the slow blossoming of new love.

Shen Muyun pushed hard against Lu Huainan’s chest until the air in his lungs was nearly squeezed out. Only when he couldn’t take it anymore did Lu Huainan release him.

"Lu Huainan, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?"

Lu Huainan gently wiped the corner of his lips, his fingertips brushing Shen Muyun’s mouth. He leaned close to his ear, warm breaths exchanged between them. "Yes, on purpose. What are you going to do about it? Eat me?"

"Lu Huainan!"

Shen Muyun grabbed a handful of sand and threw it directly at Lu Huainan.

Lu Huainan reacted quickly, fleeing the scene and running ahead. "Brother Yun, I was the hundred-meter champion in college—you can’t catch me!"

Shen Muyun, his playful side taking over, chased after Lu Huainan, even discarding his shoes and running barefoot along the coastline, leaving all worries and duties behind.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t catch up to Lu Huainan. Shen Muyun began to scheme.

"Ouch..."

He spotted some damp, soft sand nearby, deliberately stepped into it, and pretended to fall into the seawater. Hearing Shen Muyun’s voice, Lu Huainan immediately turned back. Seeing he had fallen, he hurried over.

He crouched down, looking at Shen Muyun’s foot deeply sunk in the sand, feeling remorseful.

"Brother Yun, I shouldn’t have run so fast. It’s all my fault."

Shen Muyun narrowed his eyes, watching Lu Huainan’s expression, then splashed water at him. He tried to retreat but was caught by the ankle by Lu Huainan, unable to move.

"Brother Yun, now you can’t run away, can you? I knew you were faking. Your little tricks are obvious to me at a glance."

Shen Muyun pushed his luck further, tapping into his acting skills. His eyes reddened, and he put on a pitiful expression. "Lu Huainan, I just couldn’t catch up to you. Why are you cheating and holding my ankle? Look, my foot is injured, and you’re gripping it so tightly."

Shen Muyun suppressed his laughter, repeatedly narrowing his eyes to hold back the urge to laugh.

"Brother Yun, are you sure? You don’t look injured at all. It seems more like you’re trying to trick me and mess with me."

"Ahem, how could that be? Lu Huainan, you’re wronging me—that’s a pure false accusation."

"Alright then, let me see where you’re injured."

Lu Huainan gently rubbed Shen Muyun’s ankle, his fingertips deliberately brushing the back of his ankle. Shen Muyun immediately pulled his foot back and stood up. "Lu Huainan, I’m not injured. I came here to relax. Also, um, I want to go to a bar."

"No, Brother Yun. Even though you’re older than me, I think your mentality isn’t mature enough. Stay away from bars."

Shen Muyun didn’t believe Lu Huainan’s words. This was his game—say one thing but do another.

"Fine, I promise you—I definitely won’t go to a bar. Shall we continue?"

Lu Huainan grabbed a handful of sand, watching as the seawater gradually filled the pit. Their legs were slowly submerged by the rising tide. The sunset climbed into the sky, dyeing the beach crimson.

He even wished time could freeze at this very moment. This side of Shen Muyun was one he had never seen before, and he wanted to deeply cherish this unprecedented beauty in his heart.

Shen Muyun picked up a shovel and dug into the soft sand a few times. Seeing the sand shift slightly, his eyes sparkled. Could there be something underneath?

He crouched down and dug deeper with the shovel. Murky seawater seeped out, and suddenly, a small red claw appeared.

Shen Muyun didn’t want to startle it, so he dug a larger hole with the shovel. Seeing this, Lu Huainan took tongs and, spotting the crab, clamped onto it immediately.

But it was just a juvenile crab, not even palm-sized, leaving both of them amused and exasperated.

"Brother Yun, I think we should release it. This little guy is probably waiting to go home."

"Home? Where is home?"

Shen Muyun’s mood suddenly dipped. Thinking about the situation in Jiangcheng, he grew even more irritated. Now that everyone there knew, he had no idea what awaited him upon return.

Shen Muyun set the tongs aside and stared blankly at the little crab waving its claws.

Noticing Shen Muyun’s low spirits, Lu Huainan placed the crab in a bucket and wrapped his arm around Shen Muyun’s waist.

"Brother Yun, you still have me. Even if they all dislike you or think poorly of you, I’ll be by your side. Besides, my family’s impression of you... well, honestly, I’m not sure what they think, but my sister loves shipping couples. You saw how gossipy she is."

Lu Huainan took out his phone. Aside from himself, the top chat was their family group.

Lu Luozhi: Hey, hey, is everyone here? According to the rumor mill, my brother and Brother Muyun are together!

Father Lu: What rumor mill? This is mainstream news. Haven’t you seen the media reports?

Mother Lu: Amitabha, Amitabha. That temple was right—they said our Huainan would have romantic luck this year. It’s finally happening for the first time!

Shen Muyun massaged his forehead and checked his own family group—not pinned, no special messages, just work-related discussions or case updates.

Suddenly, a message caught Shen Muyun’s eye.

Shen Wenjin: Shen Muyun, aren’t you ashamed? All of Jiangcheng is buzzing with news about you and that Lu Huainan. What, have you abandoned the Shen family entirely? Wherever you are, come back immediately—right now.

Shen Muyun turned off his phone. No one in this world understood him. As for Lu Huainan’s intentions, he still had his doubts. Where did all this love at first sight come from? If anything, love at first sight was the biggest lie of all.

Seeing Shen Muyun’s silence, Lu Huainan took his hand and placed it over his own heart, letting him feel the strong heartbeat.

"Brother Yun, my heart beats for you. It might be cheesy, but I’ve seen many romantic confessions and still can’t master them. I only know the clumsiest ways. So, can you believe me just this once?"

Shen Muyun stood up and walked away from the beach. The sun had sunk below the horizon, and stars filled the sky. The temperature had dropped considerably, and the earlier fervent emotions were instantly scattered by the cool sea breeze.

"Brother Yun!"

"Lu Huainan, you have to understand that I have many concerns. Our relationship isn't this simple—the established families in Jiangcheng are all watching us. They already had criticisms before, and now with us like this, I'm afraid even more people will..."

Lu Huainan pressed his fingertip to his lips, lowered his head, and gave a comforting smile. "Brother Yun, we can't keep worrying about this forever. Even if the media captures it, even if everyone sees—what does it matter? When I love someone, I love them. We missed the passion of our twenties, and now I'm almost thirty. At this age, I probably shouldn't be so intense, but I'm still fervent for you."

Shen Muyun was stunned. What made Lu Huainan so persistently cling to him? From the very first moment at the auction, he had deeply sensed Lu Huainan's unusual feelings toward him.

"Lu Huainan, is your fondness for me natural?"

Lu Huainan nodded. "Yes. The first time I saw Brother Yun, how should I put it? I felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if we've known each other for lifetimes and have been reunited in this one. All I want to say is, when fate arrives, nothing can stop it. Even if people talk, I still want to be with you."

Shen Muyun remained somewhat worried but didn't say anything more. He walked ahead with his head down, unable to quite put his finger on what he was feeling. He had just let his true nature show earlier, but now he needed to be more rational. His heart was conflicted about how the two of them should proceed from here.