Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Shen Muyun couldn't recall how he made it back to his room, only the sensation of strong arms holding him.

He gazed at the ceiling, then down at the quilt covering him. This was Lu Huainan's home. He hadn't eaten, and it was already 10 p.m. How was he going to explain this?

"Creak..."

The door opened, and Lu Huainan entered, carrying a bowl.

The moment the lid was lifted, a fragrant aroma instantly filled the air—the subtle scent of rice porridge.

Shen Muyun was about to speak, but a burning pain flared in his throat. Memories of what happened in the bathroom flooded his mind.

"Lu Huainan..."

His voice was hoarse.

"You..."

"Don't worry, Brother Yun. My parents have already eaten. I told them you'd been disciplined by the family a few days ago and were feeling weak, and that you fell asleep in the bathroom."

Lu Huainan—this Lu Huainan—Shen Muyun was so mortified he wished he could disappear into the ground. His cheeks flushed a deep red.

"Brother Yun, this is porridge from the small kitchen. Try it."

Lu Huainan considerately scooped a spoonful of porridge, blew on it gently, and brought it to Shen Muyun’s lips.

Shen Muyun tasted it. The rich flavor of rice spread through his mouth—it was indeed delicious. Naturally, his mood improved a little.

"Brother Yun, my parents asked when we plan to hold the wedding. Also, there must be a formal proposal ceremony, and we need to make an official announcement to the media."

Shen Muyun paused slightly, a heavy feeling settling in his heart, as if a stone were pressing down, making it hard to breathe.

"Huainan, we..."

Lu Huainan gently stroked his cheek and chuckled softly. "I know, there’s still a lot to handle. You have many matters on your side that need to be sorted out."

"Mmm, our wedding..."

"It’s nothing. We can still have one—just without inviting unwelcome guests. Besides, that way, it’ll be legitimate. I can rightfully help you. I don’t like the way things are now."

Shen Muyun suddenly realized that Lu Huainan’s possessiveness was off the charts. And on top of that, he had this pitiful, wronged vibe.

"Alright, it’s up to you. But I can’t guarantee my brother won’t cause trouble. And you’ve been friends for years—is it really worth coming to blows over this?"

Lu Huainan shook his head. "Brother Yun, what does it matter? Besides, we’ve said it before—business relationships are about interests. And you still owe me a favor. How are you going to repay that 50 million? Why not just marry me and join the Lu family? Then you won’t have to repay it."

Wishful thinking.

Shen Muyun lowered his head and finished the porridge in the bowl. "Huainan, but it seems I have enough in my account now. Should I pay you back?"

Shen Muyun wanted to tease Lu Huainan and see what he was really thinking.

"That’s simple. I’ll orchestrate a situation to break the Shen family’s capital chain. I don’t believe Brother Yun would stand by and watch. Once the money is gone, it’s settled. In the end, you’ll still be in the palm of my hand. You can’t escape."

Shen Muyun was stunned. How interesting—so this was the trap he had been waiting for. How many more tricks did this guy have? How many hidden schemes hadn’t he revealed yet?

"Then, Huainan, what if I have another way?"

Lu Huainan directly grabbed Shen Muyun’s neck. "That’s even simpler. There’s a basement under the villa—it’s full of interesting things. Brother Yun, if you never wake up again, or are in a daze, do you think you could still run away?"

A chill ran up Shen Muyun’s spine. The feeling was indeed unprecedented—somewhat terrifying, yet somewhat helpless. How did it come to this?

"Huainan, have you had this idea for a long time?"

"Not really. It was after Brother Yun suffered the family discipline, then went to the orphanage and got angry with me. That’s when this thought occurred to me. Brother Yun, you won’t blame me, right?"

Shen Muyun pinched Lu Huainan’s nose and tugged lightly. "You... you’re really something."

Lu Huainan smiled.

"Actually, in a few days, I’d like to visit the orphanage again. I feel like the previous investigation wasn’t thorough enough. I have a vague feeling that there’s something different there."

Lu Huainan showed Shen Muyun his phone.

The news headline was large: Jiangcheng Orphanage Suddenly Hit by Major Fire—No casualties, but All Archives in the Records Room Destroyed.

Shen Muyun was shocked. What did this mean? Just when they seemed close to the truth, could it really end like this... like this...

Lu Huainan smiled. "See? This is the price of digging into the past. To be honest, it’s good that there were no casualties. But, Brother Yun, how should I put it? Something feels off—like there’s an invisible force guiding our lives."

Shen Muyun was completely stunned. He had to admit, there was indeed something guiding their lives—the system. The main quest was inextricably linked to it, and now the main storyline had become a complete mess, moving forward step by step without knowing how far it would go or how chaotic it would become.

"Brother Yun, honestly, even if we found out about Liu Yun’s background, what could we do? I can see how much your father favors him. Even if he’s an adopted son, only a few of us know. If something happens to your father in the future... do you think he might twist the truth and claim you were the one who was adopted?"

"How is that possible? There are still relatives."

"The relatives are on his side. Besides, everything can be faked. What if it’s all fabricated?"

Shen Muyun stared blankly. These were things he had never considered—never even thought about.

"Huainan, do you have any good ideas?"

Lu Huainan tidied up the things on the table. "Yes. We can only wait and see. Brother Yun, let me take these downstairs. I’ll be right back."

Shen Muyun nodded.

Shen Muyun lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He never imagined the main storyline would become so distorted. What if he tried to forcefully change it? Would it make a difference?

"System, system, where are you? It’s been a while since you showed up."

The system yawned and sat down beside Shen Muyun. "Host Master, what is it this time? I’ve been on vacation lately. What you’re seeing now is thermal imaging technology."

"Enough with your nonsensical stuff. I want to know—can the main storyline still change?"

"No. This is called 'going with the flow.' Anyway, your main quest has completely collapsed. You’re not still thinking you can do something, are you, Host Master? It’s not bad to just stay put here."

"System, tell me, what exactly is going on with Shen Liuyun?"

"Simple. It’s just as you see—he’s purely an adopted son. But I have to remind you of one thing: your identity also has issues."

No wonder. So that was why things felt different at the orphanage. So that was the problem. So that’s how it is.

"What issues?"

The system held a tablet and opened the records on it. "Host Master, to be honest, initially, the task I received was indeed like this—simply to extend your life. As the main quest progressed step by step, the tasks gradually upgraded."

"System, can you stop rambling? Just tell me, what’s really going on?"

The system nodded. "It's simple—you're an illegitimate child."

Shen Muyun's eyes widened instantly. That would mean he was... Where did this ridiculous plot twist come from?

"System, say that again!"

"I said, you're an illegitimate child. Got it? And not even related to the Shen family—it's from your mother's side. Understand?"

The system's words swirled and echoed in Shen Muyun's mind, making his head spin. What did this mean? What kind of nonsense is this?

"Actually, I only found out about this yesterday. I was going to fill you in after we got back—I didn’t expect you’d uncover it like this."

Shen Muyun froze on the spot. Things were already difficult enough—why did such a strange situation have to happen? While others got golden opportunities, the system he got was practically setting him up for failure.

"Host, there’s no need to worry. You’ve already latched onto a powerful supporter. Let me tell you, you should make good use of it."

A sudden noise came from the doorway, and the system vanished instantly.

Shen Muyun’s expression grew even darker. What’s going on? It was enough to drive anyone mad.

Lu Huainan stepped into the room and noticed Shen Muyun looked pale. "Brother Yun, are you feeling sick? Should I call Dr. Qi?"

"No, it’s just... a lot to take in..."

Lu Huainan narrowed his eyes and studied Shen Muyun. "Brother Yun, I can pretty much guess what you’re thinking. You should be honest with me."

"Well, Huainan, to put it plainly—my brother is adopted, and I’m an illegitimate child, with no relation to the Shen family."

Seeing Lu Huainan freeze for a moment, a smile soon spread across his face. "What’s the big deal, Brother Yun? You know how messy things are in our circle. Since the Shen family recognizes you as Shen Wenjin’s son, then you are—and you’re their sole heir. Brother Yun, take it slow. It’ll be alright."

Shen Muyun felt dizzy and unwell—really out of it, having taken in so much incomprehensible information all at once.

"Brother Yun, why not rest for a while? We can talk it through tomorrow. There’s no rush."

Shen Muyun nodded. That was indeed the way—he needed to think it through.

Shen Muyun fell into a deep sleep, his mind now completely emptied of any other thoughts.

Lu Huainan looked at Shen Muyun in his arms, a faint, unreadable smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Brother Yun, what does any of this matter? It’s you I love. Don’t forget—you promised me we’d always be together, never apart."