Chapter 18 Painkillers Don’t Work

## Chapter 18: The Painkillers Weren't Working

Director Zhang waited a full twenty minutes, eventually growing so concerned that she went upstairs to check.

As she rounded the corner in the hallway, she saw Lin Yunshu emerging from the restroom.

Secretary Lin appeared composed, his hair and clothes neat and tidy, greeting her with his usual familiar smile. "My apologies, I kept you waiting," he said.

"Not at all, it wasn't long," Director Zhang replied thoughtfully. "I actually needed some time to touch up my makeup anyway."

As she spoke, her eyes unconsciously flicked over Lin Yunshu. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Secretary Lin seemed off, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was amiss.

"I’m truly sorry about earlier," Lin Yunshu said. "I was the one who started the conversation, but you ended up taking the blame for me."

"Please don’t say that. I enjoy talking with you. Even if you hadn’t sought me out, I would have initiated a conversation," she said, winking. "I was worried you might find me bothersome."

"Of course not," Lin Yunshu replied softly.

The two of them got into the company car. Lin Yunshu’s stomach ached, and the scent of leather in the car made him feel even worse.

He didn’t let it show, crossing his arms over his upper abdomen and holding his breath to endure the pain.

"Secretary Lin?" Director Zhang suddenly called his name.

Lin Yunshu turned to see her looking hesitant, as if she had something to say.

"What is it?" he asked gently.

"Well... it’s nothing major," Director Zhang said with a smile. "It’s just that there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate."

"It’s fine, please go ahead."

A faint smile touched Lin Yunshu’s brow. His voice, slightly weakened by his discomfort, only made him seem gentler.

Director Zhang gradually relaxed. "So, I heard that President Zhou is going to announce his wedding today?"

"What?" Lin Yunshu was taken aback.

"Huh? Th-there’s no such thing?" Director Zhang felt awkward. "I heard it from a friend in the media."

"Could you tell me more?" Lin Yunshu frowned.

Director Zhang licked her lips, choosing her words carefully. "Well, a friend of mine said that President Zhou plans to use today’s product launch as an auspicious occasion to announce his marriage. He described it so vividly that I couldn’t help but ask you for some insider gossip..."

"There’s no such thing," Lin Yunshu stated firmly.

He and Zhou Yu had long agreed to keep their marriage private until after they officially registered. This unexpected news was completely unknown to Lin Yunshu, and he believed Zhou Yu would not easily break their agreement or publicize it without his consent.

"I’m not sure where your friend heard this," Lin Yunshu said, "but he must be mistaken. President Zhou has no plans to announce any wedding news today. Please do not mention this to anyone else."

He rarely showed such a serious, almost imposing expression, which gave Director Zhang a momentary shock—it was as if she had caught a glimpse of Zhou Yu in him.

"I... I understand," Director Zhang said, patting her chest. "Don’t worry, I promise I won’t spread any rumors."

·

After getting out of the car, Lin Yunshu let Director Zhang enter the venue first while he stayed outside. He found a quiet, empty spot and called Li Xun.

"Hello, Secretary Lin?"

The other end picked up quickly. The noisy background indicated that Li Xun had already arrived at the venue.

"Brother Li, can you find a private spot right now?" Lin Yunshu said. "It’s urgent."

Li Xun paused.

Lin Yunshu usually spoke gently and tactfully, almost never using such abrupt sentences.

He glanced around, instructed a few subordinates to keep an eye on the scene, and hurried into an empty lounge, locking the door behind him.

"Secretary Lin, go ahead."

With little time left before the launch event, Lin Yunshu got straight to the point. "Today, I accidentally heard that some media outlets have gotten wind of President Zhou announcing his wedding."

"Impossible," Li Xun immediately refuted. "I haven’t heard anything about it."

For a company of Lin'an Group’s stature, the chairman’s marital status must be publicly disclosed, and such announcements are always coordinated with the media and handled through PR measures beforehand.

Lin Yunshu and Li Xun were Zhou Yu’s closest subordinates. Even if PR matters were assigned to others, it was unlikely they would be completely bypassed without hearing even a hint of it.

"Who’s spreading these rumors?" Li Xun said angrily, then tried to reassure Lin Yunshu. "Secretary Lin, don’t overthink it. If the boss were to make an announcement, he would definitely discuss it with you first. After all, you two..."

He trailed off, clearing his throat awkwardly.

That night, under Zhou Yu’s orders, he had taken people to clean up the lounge. Even if it wasn’t explicitly mentioned, he had more or less figured out the situation between Secretary Lin and the boss.

On the other end, Lin Yunshu fell silent for a rare moment before letting out a light cough.

"I’m worried someone might be trying to cause trouble," he said.

Li Xun paused, surprised. "You mean... Old Mr. Zhou?"

Lin Yunshu neither confirmed nor denied it. "Anyway, Brother Li, please check the media present today. Do it quickly, and make sure it’s done before the event starts."

"Alright," Li Xun said seriously. "I’ll look into it right away."

The sun was dazzling. After hanging up, Lin Yunshu looked up at the sky. The bright surroundings only made his vision darken intermittently.

He squinted slightly, pressed a hand to his stomach, and hunched over slightly as he walked into the venue.

His bag, along with Zhou Yu’s personal items, was stored in the VIP lounge. He always kept painkillers in his bag.

Along the way, Lin Yunshu responded casually to greetings from passersby. It wasn’t until he took the elevator to the third floor, unlocked the lounge with the code, and gently locked the door behind him that he finally bent over, unable to bear the weight of his discomfort.

His bag was in the wardrobe. Leaning against the cold wall, he took several deep breaths, gathering enough strength to walk over.

The pain blurred his vision. The bottled water was on the table, but he didn’t have the strength to open it. He placed a few painkillers in his mouth, chewed them twice, and swallowed.

His mind was uneasy—part of him hoped he was overthinking things, while another part worried that Zhou Xingde might actually be planning something.

His thoughts were chaotic, and his stomach hurt even more.

Lin Yunshu had no choice but to lean on the table, continuously pressing hard on his stomach.

But no matter how much he rubbed, the throbbing organ remained tightly clenched, like a hard, burning stone lodged in his abdomen, causing excruciating pain.

Lin Yunshu breathed shakily. The bitter taste of the medicine in his mouth made him nauseous. He couldn’t hold back a couple of dry heaves, but nothing came up.

His stomach was completely empty by now.

About twenty minutes later, the medication gradually took effect, and Lin Yunshu managed to straighten up just as the sound of the code being entered came from the door.

Li Xun pushed the door open, cautiously glanced around to ensure no one was following, then entered and locked the door.

"Secretary Lin, you..." The moment he saw Lin Yunshu, Li Xun was startled by his pale complexion. "Are you alright?"

Lin Yunshu waved a hand dismissively and casually wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"I'm fine," he said, gesturing for Li Xun to sit. "So, did you find anything?"

Li Xun had a grave expression as he opened his phone, pulled up a photo, and placed it in front of Lin Yunshu.

The photo showed the hallway of the hotel banquet hall a couple of nights ago.

A man was carrying another person towards the elevator. Even though the photo was dark and blurry, it was unmistakably Zhou Yu.

The person in his arms had their face hidden by clothing, making identification impossible.

But both Li Xun and Lin Yunshu knew exactly who it was.

Lin Yunshu put the phone down, pursed his lips, frowned slightly, and remained silent.

"Ahem."

Li Xun cleared his throat. "Well, Secretary Lin?"

Lin Yunshu handed the phone back to him, his face unreadable. "Where did this photo come from?"

All surveillance footage from that night at the hotel had been completely deleted. This photo seemed to have been taken from a very tricky angle, likely by someone surreptitiously.

"Someone sent it anonymously to Old Mr. Zhou," Li Xun explained. "And then... he forwarded it to a few media outlets."

What a bizarre move—Lin Yunshu couldn’t quite grasp the old man’s intention at first.

Reading Lin Yunshu’s expression, Li Xun added, "He probably didn’t recognize that it was you in the photo, so he’s already coordinated with Mr. Zhao from Zhenxing Jewelry to claim that it was the Zhao family’s young master."

Lin Yunshu: "?"

"He seems to want to use today’s press conference to directly contact the media, substitute the story with that photo, and announce the joyous news with the Zhao family," Li Xun said. "If the boss denies it, it would suggest he has a chaotic private life—publicly promoting an arranged marriage while being involved with someone else..."

His voice grew quieter. "Old Mr. Zhou probably thinks the boss won’t risk his reputation and hopes to force him into admitting it, accepting this unfavorable outcome in silence..."

Lin Yunshu was silent for a moment, then massaged his temples in frustration. "Has he lost his mind?"

Not to mention the plan was riddled with holes; even if Zhou Yu didn’t refute it on the spot, he had countless ways to deal with his hopeless father afterward.

And given Zhou Yu’s personality, trying to catch him off guard and force him into compliance was sheer fantasy—he would never let anyone lead him by the nose.

"Can’t blame you for being surprised," Li Xun sighed. "I had to double-check several times myself. Honestly, even in the best-case scenario, Old Mr. Zhou’s move would only push through the marriage alliance with the Zhao family, but it’s a case of hurting the enemy a thousand while losing eight hundred himself. The slightest misstep could damage the group’s reputation."

"If he had ever learned to care about these things, the former chairman wouldn’t have had to wait until Zhou Yu returned before passing away."

Lin Yunshu shook his head, bent over, clutched his stomach, and took a sharp breath.

Li Xun quickly stood up. "Are you really okay? I could tell the moment I walked in that you didn’t look well."

Lin Yunshu gritted his teeth and composed himself. The painkillers were having some effect, but not much—he was still sweating from the pain.

"Don’t worry about me," Lin Yunshu said with a bitter smile. "But since we learned about this beforehand, it’s workable. Do you have the list of those media outlets?"

Li Xun pulled up the media list on his phone; three names were highlighted in red.

"Just these three," he said. "The rest are on our side."

Lin Yunshu glanced at it, made a call to summon Guo Shengyao, sent her the list, and circled two additional names in blue.

"Go to the waiting room and pull these reporters aside," Lin Yunshu instructed. "Tell them their interview materials need adjustments. The blue ones are just for appearance's sake—let them go after. The red ones, bring them to a private room and have someone guard them."

Guo Shengyao, unsure what was happening, hesitated and glanced at Li Xun, who nodded. "Go ahead quickly."

"Alright," Guo Shengyao agreed. "I’ll take care of it immediately."

The door to the private room closed again, and Lin Yunshu turned to Li Xun. "You’ll take care of those three, right?"

"Of course," Li Xun thumped his chest. "Leave it to me."

Lin Yunshu smiled faintly, rose from the table, and Li Xun instinctively reached out to support him, but Lin Yunshu waved him off.

"Really, I’m fine," Lin Yunshu said helplessly.

"Secretary Lin, stop overexerting yourself," Li Xun insisted, equally helpless. "If it’s too much, just take a break. Would the boss really scold you for that?"

Honestly, in his opinion, Zhou Yu would be more upset if Lin Yunshu didn’t rest.

"Okay, I got it," Lin Yunshu replied casually. "I’ll go check on the venue first."

Li Xun: "..."

He knew it was futile to persuade him.

As they walked toward the door, Li Xun suddenly said, "Secretary Lin, I’ve already prepared everything for both of you."

Lin Yunshu: "?"

"The kitten," Li Xun said. "Didn’t you reserve a kitten from me? I’ve got the relocation kit all ready. The day after tomorrow, when you go back, you can just take it along!"

So that’s what he meant.

Lin Yunshu chuckled. "Great, thank you."

"Don’t mention it," Li Xun said generously. "But you have excellent taste—that one has the best lineage of the litter. I was thinking of keeping it myself! You have no idea how good-natured it is, very affectionate."

"Really?" Thinking of the kitten, Lin Yunshu’s smile softened. "So you’re giving it up reluctantly?"

"It’s nothing," Li Xun said winking, lowering his voice. "Think of it as a wedding gift for you and the boss!"

Lin Yunshu was taken aback, his ears turning slightly red. "Stop talking nonsense."

Li Xun grinned even wider. "Don’t be shy! I even want to be the best man!"

Lin Yunshu walked faster.

·

The press conference officially began.

Lin Yunshu pushed open the door, slightly bent over as he approached the venue, trying to keep a low profile.

Zhou Yu and President Li from Cassi were on stage presenting awards to up-and-coming designers.

Lin Yunshu’s seat was next to Zhou Yu’s in the front row, but he didn't step forward to take it. Instead, he stood in a corner, blending into the shadows.

The painkiller’s effect lasted only a short while before the pain in his stomach began to return with a vengeance.

Lin Yunshu wasn’t feeling well and didn’t plan to stay at the venue for long, suspecting he had built up a resistance to yet another medication.

He retreated to the side, leaning his back against the wall for support.

His palms were damp and cold, and as he tapped on his phone, his fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

There were several messages on the screen from Zhou Yu asking where he was. He clenched his fingers tightly, typed a reply, and typed in what had just happened along with the stopgap measure he’d implemented.

He waited for a moment until the designers began their acceptance speeches and Zhou Yu and President Li moved to the side to wait before sending the message.

On stage, Zhou Yu opened his phone, glanced down, and his expression darkened immediately.

He abruptly looked up.

The crowd below stretched like a sea of people, but Lin Yunshu hadn't taken his seat in the front row.

Zhou Yu’s gaze swept methodically through the crowd until it caught a familiar figure in the far corner.

Lin Yunshu stood far away, still hidden in the shadows.

But Zhou Yu had sharp eyes—or rather, a natural knack for spotting Lin Yunshu—and he pinpointed his location almost instantly.

Lin Yunshu was looking down at his phone, his brow subconsciously knitted. The cold light of the screen gave his profile a pale, stark glow.

He didn’t show any obvious signs of discomfort, but his posture wasn’t as straight as usual. One hand was pressed to his side, his lips tightly pursed.

Confirming that Zhou Yu had received the message, he turned to leave, his steps unusually hurried and unsteady.

Zhou Yu’s heart lurched.

The trouble stirred by Zhou Xingde didn’t cause even a ripple in his heart, but the subtle weakness Lin Yunshu was trying so hard to suppress made his heart race in an instant.

**Author’s Note:**

The next chapter is going VIP! My big, lengthy chapter can finally be posted [crying]

Update tomorrow night will be delayed by three hours, posted at midnight~ Please, dear readers, support with your subscriptions! Song Song will work hard to write more!

Also, it’s the end of the month (peeking out) (a bit embarrassed) (very shy)... I’d like to ask for a bit of your “water” [pitiful]

If you have any extra nutrition, you can use it to drown me—I’m a good swimmer, so I’m not afraid of drowning (just kidding).

Anyway, after going VIP, I’ll update more frequently! (I have drafts) (pats chest proudly).