Chapter 31 The Schemer

Chapter 31: The Mantis Stalker

A fine, continuous drizzle veiled the landscape in a misty haze.

The umbrella, adorned with small red flowers, resembled a mushroom speckled with crimson, standing amidst the cold, dense rain. Strings of raindrops, like fleeting moments, ceaselessly slid from its rim.

The chill air misted over the peach blossom eyes of the figure on the bridge, filling them with a shimmering moisture, deeper and more profound than the lake's surface.

"Ding—"

Wen Yu blinked away the blurring moisture and glanced down at his phone.

It was a notification.

B City Meteorological Observatory issued a rain advisory at 10:00 AM: "Affected by cold air, rainfall is expected to continue in our city for the next 12 hours..."

As if on cue, a cold gust of wind swept past his ear, sounding like mocking laughter whispered close by.

"..."

Wen Yu refreshed his notification bar twice more, ensuring it wasn't a signal issue, but no other messages appeared beyond the weather forecast.

The message he had sent half an hour ago had vanished without a trace, like a stone dropped into the sea.

The young man's lips parted slightly, releasing a puff of white breath, the undefined gloom in his heart dissipating into the rain.

With his next breath, a fishy scent, carried by the wind from the lake, filled his mouth.

It was unpleasant.

Wen Yu frowned.

The entire scenery of Sibo Lake was shrouded in a gray mist.

The oppressive hue cast a pall over his heart, involuntarily conjuring up worst-case scenarios.

Had something happened on the road?

Few people were out. Occasionally, a car or two would pass behind Wen Yu, splashing water against the curb, the sound jarring his thoughts.

Traffic jam? Car accident? Or... something happened at the company?

He recalled the person who had caused trouble at Xue Shu's company, wondering how it was handled and if there would be retaliation.

Or perhaps the wound on his head had flared up again? When he checked it last night, it seemed fine, but he couldn't rule out Xue Shu being dramatic.

Considering the other person had gone out in the rain late at night, Wen Yu was genuinely worried.

Waiting was futile. Wen Yu opened his contacts, preparing to make a call to check in.

The roar of an approaching car grew louder, and the vehicle slowly pulled to a stop behind him.

The deliberate approach made Wen Yu's lowered peach blossom eyes suddenly light up. The young man turned to look from beneath his umbrella.

"..."

Si Junjian watched with amusement as the light in those peach blossom eyes dimmed once more, precisely as he had seen earlier—quite irritating.

He removed his sunglasses, revealing narrow eyes that held a smile Wen Yu couldn't decipher, instinctively putting him on guard.

"What a coincidence, you're here too?" Si Junjian asked.

The polite words lacked any genuine courtesy. Their relationship had already deteriorated, making this charade unnecessary. Wen Yu cut straight to the chase: "Mr. Si, what do you want?"

Si Junjian's smile remained, his eyes narrowing as he savored the raindrops drifting in through the car window, his tone casual. "As expected of Xue Shu's man. Having someone watch your back truly changes things—you speak with such confidence now."

Wen Yu, tired of his habit of belittling others, stated bluntly, "Mr. Si, I don't think we have anything to discuss..."

Si Junjian raised an eyebrow, interrupting him. "Of course we do."

"..." Wen Yu turned and began walking in the opposite direction of the car. "I disagree."

The solid white line on the bridge prohibited lane changes or U-turns. The car gradually fell behind him as the man's teasing tone drifted into his ears.

"The person you're waiting for isn't coming."

Wen Yu paused. Though he knew full well the other meant no good...

The car behind him slowly reversed, pulling alongside him. Si Junjian admired the young man's profile, which had reappeared in his view, sighing inwardly that he had made his move too late.

Such vitality and composure, even if crushed and cast into the mud, would possess a unique charm. Why had he waited so long, letting someone else take the lead?

"What happened to him?" Wen Yu stopped outright, enduring the man's revolting stare.

Si Junjian didn't answer immediately, asking instead, "Before I tell you, can you tell me who you were hoping to see just now?"

"Don't you already know?" Wen Yu was puzzled, seeing no point in dwelling on the answer.

Si Junjian smiled and nodded. "I just thought it would be interesting coming from your mouth."

Interesting how?

This amounted to an indirect admission.

Si Junjian chuckled softly and leisurely put on a song.

"I love my kindergarten, kindergarten has many friends, singing and dancing, everyone is happy together..."

Children's voices rang out in the rain, including Wen Yu's voice from long ago.

It was a song his mother would sing with the children every morning as the sun broke through the darkness.

"What do you mean?" Wen Yu's face darkened.

The children's singing in the car's music moved to the next verse. Si Junjian's smile widened, revealing obvious malicious amusement.

"Fourteen years ago," he mused, rubbing the finger that had tapped the broadcast, "someone adopted you from the orphanage and then returned you."

Wen Yu's face turned stormy. Si Junjian watched him like prey unaware of its fate under a slow blade, speaking slowly. "The man who adopted you... was imprisoned for charges including child molestation and others."

Wen Yu took a deep breath to steady himself, frowning. "So what? Besides proving your extensive reach and thorough background checks, what does that prove?"

Si Junjian tilted his head, displaying the refined, polite smile Wen Yu had seen before. "I just want to convey one thing, but you should understand it better than anyone, shouldn't you?"

Wen Yu tightened his grip on the umbrella. Many years ago, that man had been one of the orphanage's biggest donors, often visiting the children and introducing adoptive parents.

He seemed like a good person at first, but... Wen Yu's nails dug into his palms. He thought of Sister Wen Ti, who cried all night, and that disgusting man.

They had misjudged the person all along—that man was a wolf in sheep's clothing, a total jerk.

And the one before him now... was no different from that man. Beneath the refined and courteous exterior lurked a venomous snake that took pleasure in manipulating people's minds.

That amused gaze sent a chill down Wen Yu's spine, and the underlying message of this charade was all too clear.

Si Junjian, wearing his charming mask, asked, "How can you be so sure that President Xue and I aren't cut from the same cloth?"

Both came from privilege, wielded power and wealth, and could twist things to their will.

...If it was all just a game, then there was naturally no need to inform him, the NPC.

Si Junjian manipulated Wen Yu into drawing his own conclusion: President Xue had stood him up intentionally, toying with his emotions.

People always tend to believe conclusions they've deduced themselves. The moment this thought took root in Wen Yu's mind, it spread like wildfire.

His mind suddenly flooded with countless pieces of evidence—those vague rumors, those chaotic friends, and... Gu Wei's past advances.

Finally, he thought, confused: Was the deep affection at the Gourd Temple just his own delusion of a lasting love?

Either that, or President Xue's acting skills were truly unparalleled, tricking him into letting his guard down.

How ridiculous.

"You see, you've fallen for the very type of person you despise the most. You developed feelings, thinking it was mutual, only to realize it was all just a game to the other party."

"So..." Si Junjian's lips curled into a smirk. "Isn't it amusing?"

A cold wind carrying icy rain nearly tore Wen Yu's umbrella from his grasp. Dazed, he took a few steps in the direction of the wind.

For a moment, he didn't understand why he was there.

Resentment surged up inside him.

Just yesterday, when they parted, weren't they both looking forward to today's meeting?

Compared to others, President Xue was nothing but a liar who broke his promise...

Seeing Wen Yu's reaction, Si Junjian softened his voice: "The rain's getting heavier. Need a ride?"

Like anyone encountering an acquaintance, he stepped out of the car, opened an umbrella, and held out a hand to Wen Yu.

"..." Wen Yu looked at the man who could switch his demeanor so effortlessly. Avoiding his hand, he replied, holding back the pain in his chest, "No need. Thank you for your kindness, President Si."

Mocking himself for his own wishful thinking, Wen Yu turned and walked toward the foot of the bridge.

Ding—

Wen Yu glanced at his phone. It was a message from Gu Wei.

He said he had something to attend to and had arranged for someone to take Wen Xiaoyi home.

Wen Yu frowned, stopping dead as dread filled him.

He turned back and opened WeChat to President Xue's chat. If the other party wasn't going to notify him that the game was over, he decided to take the initiative and ask what was going on.

He was no NPC—why should he play along in some emotional game?

There were few pedestrians on the rainy streets. Keeping an eye on his surroundings, Wen Yu pulled up the call screen one-handed.

Just about to dial, he suddenly collided with a solid figure.

His loosely held phone fell into the rainwater.

He was pushed back several steps by the force of the collision. Just as he tried to back away, he realized the other person was closing the distance as he retreated.

Something felt off. Wen Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and he turned to run.

But the other person moved much faster, clearly outmatched physically. Before he could take more than a few steps, a searing pain pierced the side of his neck, and he suddenly lost consciousness.

The umbrella printed with red flowers fell, caught by the wind, and was violently swept into the lake.

Witnessing it all, Si Junjian’s smile froze on his face. Watching the prey he had nearly captured being snatched away and taken into a car that had been parked under the bridge for who knows how long, even his best composure cracked.

The sound of leather shoes stepping in rainwater came from behind.

A cold, circular muzzle pressed against the back of his head.

The smile on Si Junjian’s face vanished completely, replaced by an impassive mask. "Long time no see, President Xue."

He raised his hands, signaling that he had no objections. "Haven’t I been cooperative enough? Is this really necessary?"

The man let out a derisive snort and gestured for his subordinate to lower the gun.

Everything happened quickly. In the blink of an eye, only Si Junjian and his car remained on the bridge.

Glancing at the phone soaking in a puddle, he tsked in frustration.

What a perfect case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Author's Note:

Yes, Si Junjian violated traffic rules. Everyone, please don't follow his example. And he didn't even check the rearview mirror when reversing. A car could have easily hit him.

Wen Yu: Family, who understands, I've been exposed.

At this moment, President Xue is on his way here.

Xue Shu: I'll come to hit him.

Nursery Rhyme "I Love Kindergarten":

"I love my kindergarten, where friends abound, singing and dancing, together we're truly joyful..."