Chapter 21 A Small Scar

Chapter 21 A Small Scar

The carpet was completely replaced.

Not only the one in the walk-in closet, but also those in the living room and bedroom were all discarded.

Zhou Yu ordered a new batch of formal wear and loungewear, then held Lin Yunshu as they settled in the guest room.

Outside, a cleaning crew was cleaning the floors, the sound of chairs and tables scraping and screeching loudly.

Lin Yunshu frowned in discomfort.

Zhou Yu quickly covered his ears. "It's alright, it's alright, sleep now, be good."

However, Lin Yunshu slept restlessly, showing extreme weakness following the high fever.

So Zhou Yu picked him up, letting him lie against his chest with his head resting on his shoulder, rubbing his back while whispering comforts.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, there's no one else... sleep well, you'll feel better when you wake up..."

Yesterday, they had continued until Lin Yunshu lost consciousness and developed a high fever before stopping.

Stimulated by the burning body temperature, Zhou Yu jolted awake, only to find that Lin Yunshu wouldn't wake up, sending him into a complete panic.

He called in a group of doctors, slapped himself several times, and worked frantically through the night, finally managing to reduce Lin Yunshu’s fever.

But Lin Yunshu remained unconscious.

Zhou Yu’s mind raced with countless news stories of alphas going overboard and harming their omegas. Paranoid and sleepless all night, he repeatedly pressed the doctors, demanding they wake Lin Yunshu.

Until the doctor roared in exasperation, "He's just exhausted!"

"You pushed him to this state, and you won’t even let him sleep a little longer?! Are you a tyrant?!"

Zhou Yu: "O.O!"

It was the first time in his life he’d been scolded to his face.

Surprisingly, he didn’t feel angry at all.

"Could've said that sooner."

Guiltily rubbing the bridge of his nose, he waved the doctor away, granting a general pardon.

The doctor, disgusted by Zhou Yu’s cloying behavior all night, had long wanted to leave and quickly packed up in a flash.

Zhou Yu, feeling quite pleased with himself, changed into pajamas and held Lin Yunshu as he slept again.

—Twice.

...Several times.

Lin Yunshu didn’t wake until the afternoon of the third day, having received two nutrient IV drips in the meantime.

Zhou Yu had never held Lin Yunshu for such an extended period of rest before. At first, it felt great, but slowly, he began to worry again.

When Lin Yunshu woke, Zhou Yu was kneeling by the bed, cradling Lin Yunshu’s ice-cold IV hand, carefully rubbing it warm.

Lin Yunshu’s finger bones were slender, with no prominent knuckles, the flesh snugly wrapped around the delicate, long bones.

Anyone would agree they were a pair of beautifully perfect hands.

Zhou Yu held his wrist, warming each finger one by one, when he accidentally felt an unusual raised area on the smooth skin.

Looking closely, he found a scar between Lin Yunshu’s index and middle fingers—not too big, not too small, extending slightly from the gap into the palm.

The scar was very old, virtually invisible unless inspected closely. Only when carefully rubbed could one feel the uneven texture amidst the smooth skin.

Zhou Yu observed it closely, even using a flashlight, but couldn’t figure out how the scar had formed.

Still, it was a flaw on an otherwise perfect jade.

Zhou Yu frowned thoughtfully, holding Lin Yunshu’s fingers in his palm, gently stroking the scar over and over.

Perhaps this action disturbed Lin Yunshu.

His fingers twitched, and then he slowly opened his eyes.

Zhou Yu sprang up suddenly, exclaiming with exaggerated concern, "You’re awake?!"

Lin Yunshu: "?"

Zhou Yu immediately squatted back down, gently stroking Lin Yunshu’s hair. "Really awake? You’re not faking a win to scare me, are you?"

Lin Yunshu’s eyelids felt weighted.

He struggled to open them. "Have I ever faked a win before?"

His voice was completely shot, coming out as a raspy whisper.

But Zhou Yu was close enough to understand.

His anxious heart finally settled. Lin Yunshu’s eyes were focused, he could speak, and he could carry on a coherent conversation.

He was truly awake.

Zhou Yu let out a long sigh of relief, holding up two fingers.

"Twice," he said, still shaken by the memory. "You faked a win twice."

·

"Mahjong!"

Chen Shuyang exited Happy Mahjong with satisfaction.

Over the past few days, he had been playing mahjong with his fellow models and had won over two thousand yuan. Combined with his runway earnings from the recent fashion show, he had nearly twenty thousand saved up.

Chen Shuyang thought it was quite a lot, but upon asking around, he found out he actually had the least.

"Just a rookie model. As a newcomer, what more do you expect?" his agent said. "You should be glad your first external booking was with Cassi's. Anywhere else, halving it would be getting off easy!"

Chen Shuyang didn’t really mind.

After all, the money he’d saved was already enough to upgrade Lin Yunshu's phone. Whatever price point Lin Yunshu had bought for him, he would return the favor with something of equal value.

No, he would buy something even more expensive! The new top-tier model releasing year-end!

In the coming months, if he worked harder and took on more gigs, he might even be able to buy Lin Yunshu a complete product suite!

Chen Shuyang held a stubborn resolve in his heart, unwilling to always accept Lin Yunshu's help.

He was an Alpha, and Lin Yunshu was an Omega—Alphas are naturally meant to care for Omegas.

Although Lin Yunshu was now married and had found a barely adequate Alpha, men's hearts are inscrutable; who knows if that Zhou guy would make the same mistakes all Alphas tend to make?

With Lin Yunshu’s stubborn and reserved nature, if he were ever mistreated, he would definitely keep it to himself.

And that Zhou guy was so wealthy—who knows how chaotic such a family could be? What kind of decent life could Lin Yunshu possibly have after marrying into it?

What kind of nonsense had he bought into?

Thinking this, Chen Shuyang quickly pushed his agent to get him a few more jobs.

He couldn’t rely on his parents anymore; he had to work hard himself. That way, if Lin Yunshu were ever bullied by that Zhou guy in the future, he’d at least have a proper home to come back to, right?

“Oh my!”

Something shattered in the living room, and Lin Fang exclaimed, “Oh my, oh my—my goodness!”

She was always so dramatic, making mountains out of molehills.

“Goodness, goodness…”

Lin Fang kept exclaiming, shards at her feet, but her eyes were fixed on the TV.

“Yun Shu is on TV!”

“What's the big deal?” Chen Hongming adjusted his glasses as he read the newspaper. “It’s not Yun Shu’s first time. Is it some big conference again?”

“No, no! This time it’s different—oh my god!” Lin Fang clutched her chest. “He got married!”

*Crash!*

Chen Hongming nearly tore the newspaper.

“Are you crazy? What nonsense are you talking? How could he get married? He doesn’t even have a partner!”

“Why would I lie to you? Come see for yourself if you don’t believe me!”

Chen Hongming quickly took off his glasses, not even bothering with slippers, and rushed to the TV.

The city news channel was replaying earlier segments. On the screen, Lin Yunshu and another man were walking hand in hand into the marriage registration office.

Soon, they emerged, holding a bright red marriage certificate.

The man wrapped his arm around Lin Yunshu, proudly showing off the certificate to the media and happily passing out wedding sweets.

Lin Yunshu smiled gently as always, his cheeks slightly flushed.

To any observer, they looked like an inseparable newlywed couple.

Chen Hongming: “???”

“Oh my god, oh my god…” Lin Fang seemed to have only one exclamation. “That man—that man is his boss!”

Chen Hongming: “What are you talking about?”

“The boss of the company he works for! Oh my god, Yun Shu has really climbed the ladder now!”

“That’s a wealthy family—a hugely wealthy family! He’s become a wealthy spouse now!”

Chen Shuyang leaned against the doorframe, his gaze fixed on Lin Yunshu’s smiling face on the TV.

Was he truly happy?

Chen Shuyang couldn’t tell.

Ever since they were kids, he had felt that Lin Yunshu struggled to truly love anyone or to genuinely feel happy.

That belief hadn’t changed even now.

...Perhaps Zhou Yu would be the exception.

“This is incredible, absolutely incredible!” Lin Fang went on and on.

She kept patting her husband’s back. “You always said he wanted to marry his boss—well, now he’s actually done it!”

Chen Shuyang frowned. “Mom, quit talking rubbish.”

“What nonsense am I talking?” Lin Fang sneered. “What’s our background compared to that boss’s family? Isn’t it still marrying above his station? Rich people really do care about looks!”

“For our family, it’s marrying up,” Chen Shuyang said. “But not for Lin Yunshu.”

Lin Fang was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said,” Chen Shuyang crossed his arms. “I might as well tell you—the boss you’re talking about was the one who actively pursued my brother. You have no idea how shamelessly persistent he was.”

He clicked his tongue in disdain.

Lin Fang cocked her head doubtfully. “You knew about this all along?”

Chen Shuyang’s face froze momentarily, and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I honestly don't get you,” he said. “You’re always telling him to marry into money, but when he actually finds someone good, you’re not happy about it.”

“...Not that I’m saying Zhou Yu is good,” he backpedaled. “I just don’t like your attitude.”

With that, he turned and went back to his room, closing the door behind him.

Everything went quiet outside for several seconds.

Suddenly, Lin Fang shouted in protest, “What do you mean I’m not happy? What did I do to deserve you blaming me like this?!”

She pounded on the door. “You knew your brother got married and didn’t tell me! Yun Shu kept quiet, and neither did you!”

“How could you hide this from your own mother?!”

“Oh my god, I’ve raised two ungrateful brats!”

Chen Shuyang leaned against the door, closed his eyes, and pressed his hands over his ears.

His mother had a piercing voice, always pounding on doors loudly, and sometimes she and his father would have shouting matches together.

When he was small, it was his brother who covered his ears for him.

He huddled close to his brother, and truly, everything was shut out.

Only after growing up did Chen Shuyang realize it wasn’t his brother’s icy fingers that shut everything out—it was his heart.

No one covered his brother’s ears, so he absorbed all the ugliness alone.

All the harsh, hurtful, and helpless experiences gradually shaped his brother—only to dissolve, erode, and take deep root over the long years of growing up.

Chen Shuyang got up and returned to bed, pulling the blanket over his head.

Lin Fang’s crying gradually subsided. In the living room, separated by just a wall, Dad was comforting her in fragments.

“There’s no point opposing it now that things have come to this,” Chen Hongming’s low voice carried through.

“We should have Yunshu bring his husband by for a visit.”

“Right,” Lin Fang sobbed. “We raised him all these years—raised him so well and so handsome. Now that he’s married, how would it look not to bring his husband back to visit? The neighbors would laugh us off the face!”

“Yunshu has no parents—we are his parents,” Chen Hongming said. “Now that he’s settled down, it’s only right for him to bring his husband along to pay their respects to us!”

“Yes, yes, exactly,” Lin Fang stopped crying. There was a rustling sound, as if she were searching for something. “You’re right—I need to call Yunshu right away! Where’s my phone?”

Chen Shuyang abruptly sat up and shot off a message to Lin Yunshu before Lin Fang could.

[My parents found out about you two!]

[They’re planning to have you two come back for the post-wedding visit!]

[They want your boss to play the fool and show filial piety to them too.]

[Don’t listen, don’t bother, no need to come back. It’s not worth debasing yourself in front of Zhou Yu for them.]

[...]

[Did you see it?]

[Sound off if you got it.]

—

Zhou Yu snatched Lin Yunshu’s phone and pressed the voice-message button right in front of him.

“Squeak.”

He raised an eyebrow, smiled, then tossed the phone back into Lin Yunshu’s hand.

Lin Yunshu shook his head helplessly.

Not long after waking up in the afternoon, he had fallen asleep again—and only now was he fully himself once more.

Zhou Yu had kept him pinned to the bed, forbidding him from going anywhere, then came over holding a bowl, eager to feed him.

It was a simple bowl of noodles.

“Don’t be fooled by the clear broth,” Zhou Yu said. “This soup has been simmering all night with pork bones, red dates, goji berries, Chinese yam, and a touch of ginseng. I didn’t add too much—I was worried you might find it overly rich.”

He boasted, “I made it all myself. You’ve got to humor me and take a few bites, right?”

Lin Yunshu was surprised. “You stayed up all night just to cook noodles?”

“I’ve slept too much these past couple of days,” Zhou Yu sighed. “You really have no idea how long you were out, do you?”

Lin Yunshu: “...”

“Come on, be good—open up.” Zhou Yu held the chopsticks to his lips.

—

Chen Shuyang wore a path into the floor, pacing anxiously.

His phone buzzed!

Finally—a reply!

He lunged for his phone and tapped the voice message.

...

An unfamiliar male voice said, “Squeak.”

Chen Shuyang: “?”

Not long after, a voice call came through. Zhou Yu’s cheerful voice rang out:

“Alright, message received, bro-in-law. Thanks for the heads-up. Your brother and I will figure it out.”

Chen Shuyang: “??”

“Are you crazy? Who asked you? I was talking to my brother!”

“Young people—so fired up.” Zhou Yu was in excellent spirits, laughing heartily. “Did you see the news? Not bad, right? Your brother came out particularly well in a few shots. I’ll send them to you later—remember to share them in your WeChat Moments.”

“Hahaha, there’s still wedding candy left—I’ll make sure to hook you up later!”

Chen Shuyang: “??? Wait—you—hey!”

The other end hung up mid-gloat, leaving Chen Shuyang clutching his dead phone, seething.

He planted his hands on his hips, staring incredulously at the darkened screen.

What in God’s name does Lin Yunshu see in this guy?

—

Lin Yunshu sneezed.

He rubbed his nose in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Yu quickly set down the bowl and chopsticks and touched his forehead. “Don’t tell me you’re catching a cold.”

“No.” Lin Yunshu pulled his hand away.

It was early autumn—the summer’s last gasp hadn’t even faded—and his room was climate-controlled 24/7. There was no chance he’d catch a cold, even if he tried.

“Then it must be my little bro-in-law bad-mouthing me,” Zhou Yu picked up the chopsticks again, ready to resume feeding him. “But he did remind me—this is my first time getting married, and I really forgot about the post-wedding home-visit custom.”

“Do you want to go?” Lin Yunshu asked.

“It’s up to you,” Zhou Yu said. “If you don’t like the idea, we won’t go. If you want to make a show of it, I’ll guarantee your procession is even grander than the Empress’s.”

Lin Yunshu's eyelashes fluttered as he lowered his head. "Why do you always talk like..."

"Like what?" Zhou Yu leaned in with a smile to look at him.

Lin Yunshu subtly turned his face away and went quiet.

Zhou Yu gazed at his snow-white profile, feeling a strong urge. He moved closer and pressed his palm against Lin Yunshu's stomach.

"You just ate a lot—are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"It's fine, I'm okay," Lin Yunshu replied.

But Zhou Yu didn’t listen and gently massaged his stomach. "Your lips are pale."

His lie exposed, Lin Yunshu paused, then awkwardly touched his lips.

Zhou Yu let out a soft sigh by his ear.

"Tell me, did your stomach get ruined by all those years working with me, all that traveling and running around?"

He sounded full of guilt. Pressed up against Lin Yunshu like that, hanging his head, he looked strangely pitiful for such a big guy.

Lin Yunshu always responded better to kindness than pressure, and he immediately felt sorry for him.

"Didn't your aunt and the rest look after you?" Zhou Yu retorted.

Lin Yunshu was at a loss for words.

Zhou Yu continued, "The doctor said if your stomach had been properly looked after when you were young, it wouldn’t be like this now. Or—"

He suddenly raised his voice, "Did they bully you?"

Lin Yunshu: "?"

Before he could figure out how to respond, he watched as Zhou Yu worked himself up.

"How dare they bully you!" He clenched his fists, looking like he'd reached his limit.

"It seems we really must make that trip now," Zhou Yu shifted tone. "Otherwise, they’ll think I’m easy to mess with too."

Lin Yunshu: "??"

Zhou Yu: "I’ll have Chen Shuyang get ready right away."

Lin Yunshu: "???"

-----------------------

Author’s Note: Emperor Zhou: To the pleasure garden!

Little Shuzi: The Empre~ss is retur~ning to her home~town for a visit—!

Shushu: Wait… no, wait!

————

I'm about to go on the featured list, so I'll write a bit more, aiming for a thousand characters per update. The next chapter will be updated after 11 PM on Monday. [playing it cool]