Chapter 45

Chapter 45

After the New Year, Pei Yan was set to join the Pei Corporation, so Pei Tai hosted a banquet around that time, seemingly to build momentum for his younger son.

The banquet was quite grand.

As it was still the holiday season and the event was more of a social gathering, there was a good turnout.

The Guan family, for instance—everyone but Guan Jianshan attended.

Of course, Qin Suxi and the others were also concerned about Shen Ju and wanted to take him out for a change of scenery.

The Pei family's old estate had a different architectural style from Heyuan's landscaped gardens; it leaned more towards 20th-century European design. It was said that the property was once part of a foreign concession before the Pei family acquired the land and renovated it.

Few changes were made, at least to the external structures.

Consequently, the interior style retained a distinctive character.

Many first-time guests enjoyed exploring the premises.

Qin Suxi wanted to ask a server to show Shen Ju around.

However, all the staff were busy, and she couldn't get anyone's attention.

Then Shen Ju spotted a familiar figure—

"Class President?"

Shen Ju was quite surprised: "What are you…"

Tang Yuexin also saw Shen Ju and approached him with a greeting: "Just temp work. They pay a thousand for half a day here."

Shen Ju exclaimed, "Wow, that's a lot!"

Tang Yuexin paused, glancing at Shen Ju.

Then she smiled.

"Yes, it really is a lot."

Tang Yuexin: "Is there anything you'd like to drink? I'll get it for you, but no alcohol for the little one."

"What little one?"

Shen Ju chuckled awkwardly: "I'm not a little kid anymore."

Tang Yuexin merely shrugged.

Perhaps Shen Ju's youthful appearance was misleading, but she just felt he seemed so young.

Like an adorable child.

The kind you want to dote on.

Soft and gentle.

Yet often, he resembled a little hedgehog with prickly armor.

Though even the hedgehog's prickles were soft, Shen Ju probably wasn't aware of that.

"Alright then, I've got to get back to work. Bye."

"Bye, Class President."

Perhaps encountering someone familiar, the little mushroom, who had been feeling a bit down, seemed to brighten up, no longer aimlessly trailing behind Qin Suxi.

Shen Ju looked around, turning his head.

Qin Suxi patted Shen Ju's back: "Want to go out for a stroll?"

With so many people at the banquet, staying inside might feel a bit stifling.

Shen Ju nodded.

Qin Suxi intended to accompany Shen Ju.

However, they hadn't taken more than a few steps before encountering an acquaintance, forcing them to stop and chat for a while.

It was unavoidable—the chances of running into people you know were simply too high at such events.

Just like Guan Lifeng and Guan Muyao, who had been "cornered" early on—the moment they entered the banquet hall, people immediately flocked to them with drinks. Qin Suxi had to extricate herself several times to stay by Shen Ju's side.

But the person who approached them now was someone Qin Suxi was quite friendly with, and since they hadn't seen each other in a while, Qin Suxi found herself momentarily held up in conversation.

Shen Ju quietly said beside her: "Mom, I'll go out and walk around by myself."

Qin Suxi immediately looked at Shen Ju: "By yourself?"

"Yeah, I want to explore on my own."

Qin Suxi observed Shen Ju carefully and, seeing no reluctance, nodded and agreed. Otherwise, she worried that even with Shen Ju, she wouldn't be able to leave the banquet hall.

............

The Pei family's old estate was vast, perhaps even larger than Heyuan.

However, it might have been an illusion, as compared to Heyuan's garden layout, this place appeared distinctly more "open" and spacious.

Shen Ju genuinely preferred to walk outside rather than remain in the banquet hall.

Moreover, Brother Pei seemed even busier at this banquet than at the annual meeting. Shen Ju didn't even get a chance to speak with Pei Yan—he only caught a distant glimpse and couldn't get closer.

Guan Lifeng and Guan Muyao were also occupied, surrounded as soon as they appeared.

Qin Suxi was busy too, running into many friends.

Guan Mulin was no exception—before long, Pei Haochuan appeared and whisked him away. Who knows where those two went off to—

"Guan Mulin, what do you mean by that?"

Huh?

Pei Haochuan's voice came from ahead, causing Shen Ju to pause mid-step.

He was standing precisely at a corner where he could see Guan Mulin and Pei Haochuan, but they couldn't see him.

Shen Ju hesitated about whether to turn around and leave.

Just then, he heard Pei Haochuan speak again:

"We just got here, why are you in such a hurry to go back!"

Pei Haochuan's voice was filled with anger, yet also tinged with a hint of hurt: "You said before that I was your best friend, but I think you're just blowing me off. Otherwise, why do you always want to go back to find Shen Ju whenever we're alone? Haven't you noticed how much you care about Shen Ju? Especially recently—Mu Lin, are you... are you—"

"Are you in love with Guan Shenju?!"

It hit like a thunderclap.

It left Shen Ju and 996 utterly speechless.

Guan Mulin seemed equally stunned.

After a few seconds, he finally spoke: "Where is this coming from..."

"So you don't like Guan Shenju?"

"Of course, I do like him."

"See—"

Guan Mulin seemed a bit annoyed and quickly interrupted: "But my feelings for Shen Ju are those of an older brother for a younger brother. Even though I was only born half an hour earlier, I'm still older than him, and we're both on the same family registry. What exactly are you thinking? In terms of family relations, I'm his second brother. Is it wrong for me to like my younger brother? Instead, Pei Haochuan, why didn’t you bring Shen Ju along when you asked me to come out?"

"Isn't he your friend too?"

Pei Haochuan: "............"

Shen Ju held his breath without realizing it.

Pei Haochuan tsked, sounding somewhat impatient.

But he still said: "It's just—I just wanted to talk to you alone."

Guan Mulin seemed to be giving Pei Haochuan a hard stare.

Pei Haochuan tsked again.

"Alright, I guess I admit it."

"Although I was a bit biased against Shen Ju at first, after spending time together, I realized he's pretty decent. And Han Chengfeng—that guy really mouths off a lot, but he's not so bad once you get to know him. Anyway, as Han Chengfeng said, we've been through tutoring hell together, hung out, and eaten together so many times. If I really had any issues with Shen Ju, I wouldn’t even want to be near him, not even for your sake."

"............"

"But if you forced me, I might still agree—"

"Cut it out, just stop talking."

The two seemed to continue talking, but Shen Ju had already slowly backed away.

He likes me.

Guan Mulin said he liked him, treating him as a younger brother.

Pei Haochuan also saw him as a friend.

And Qin Suxi, Guan Lifeng, Guan Muyao, Guan Jianshan—his mother, father, eldest brother, grandfather. How could he not feel all their care?

They probably liked him too.

Shen Ju never dared to dwell too deeply on this question.

Because joy always concealed sorrow beneath.

He could only deceive himself.

Control himself, stop himself from thinking about it.

Stop thinking.

Then things wouldn't get any worse, nor more sorrowful.

But the truth had been obvious for a while.

He could no longer ignore how much his family cared about him.

And he truly felt the presence of "home" here.

But now.

Shen Ju quickly fled the scene.

996: "Host... are you crying?"

Shen Ju pressed his lips together, "No."

"But I... I'm gonna cry—"

"............"

996 sniffled: "Am I the bad guy here?"

"Brother 996..."

996 cried out: "This stupid mission! I've been wanting to say I don't want to do it anymore!!"

"Just let me reset to factory settings already!"

Shen Ju didn't expect he'd have to comfort 996. He composed himself and told 996 to be strong.

996: "I can't be strong, not even a little!"

"You're broken and I'm broken—how are we supposed to be strong, boo hoo..."

Even though it was bad timing.

Shen Ju really wanted to ask 996 what nonsense he had been reading again.

But admittedly, with 996 carrying on like that, Shen Ju had calmed down a little.

He rubbed his eyes and looked up.

That's when he realized he had no idea where he had run to.

Where am I?

Shen Ju looked around.

He saw a small white three-story building not far ahead, and a glass greenhouse next to it.

Wonder if anyone's inside.

He was a little lost.

Maybe he could go ask.

But as he got closer, he realized the small building seemed to be locked, and probably nobody was inside.

Shen Ju found his eyes drawn toward the greenhouse.

The greenhouse was actually open.

Inside, there were surprisingly many cacti.

Various types of cacti, some round and chubby, quite cute.

Shen Ju walked in without thinking.

Although the place seemed a bit remote, the flowers inside must've been regularly cared for.

Even the cacti were well-maintained.

Shen Ju bent down to look at these cacti and even reached out to touch one.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

"What are you doing?"

"Ouch—"

Shen Ju was startled, and his finger got pricked by a cactus spine. The spine was quite sharp, piercing his fingertip instantly. A drop of blood fell, dripping into the cactus's soil.

Not minding his bleeding finger, Shen Ju quickly turned around.

Turning around, he was startled again, because standing behind him was actually Pei Tai, the Patriarch of the Pei family, Pei Yan's father?

Shen Ju had never actually met Pei Tai before.

He had only glimpsed him from afar at banquets.

But that was enough for him to recognize Pei Tai.

Though Pei Tai might not know him—

"From the Guan family, right?"

"Ah, yes."

Shen Ju stood up straight, nervous and flustered.

He hadn't expected Pei Tai to recognize him.

Previously, it was at a banquet, and they were far apart. Now, they were in the greenhouse, a small space with only Shen Ju and Pei Tai, much closer together. Shen Ju could see Pei Tai's features more clearly.

He thought, Brother Pei probably only looked about thirty percent like his father.

Pei Tai's face was somewhat stern, appearing unsmiling. It was clear he had likely had some cosmetic work done, but at over sixty years old, age showed. The skin on his face was a bit loose and sagging, especially the lines around the corners of his mouth, which were quite noticeable, making him seem even more unapproachable. His hair was probably dyed black, but it might have been a while since the last dye, as white strands were already visible.

He gave Shen Ju the impression of someone fighting aging.

Overall, compared to Guan Jianshan, the Pei Tai before him made Shen Ju feel more on edge.

With Guan Jianshan, it was the nervousness of a younger person meeting an elder for the first time.

But now, with Pei Tai, especially under his gaze and scrutiny, Shen Ju could barely stand still.

"I'm sorry," Shen Ju couldn't help but say softly. "I'm not sure how I wound up here. I'm a little lost."

Pei Tai hummed and looked at Shen Ju. "You should have asked a servant to show you around."

Shen Ju's face flushed a little, and he pressed his lips together, getting even more nervous.

Pei Tai stepped closer to Shen Ju.

"I heard you and Pei Yan are pretty close?"

"Ah? Brother Pei?"

"Pei Yan was actually willing to tutor someone."

Pei Tai glanced at Shen Ju again, as if still checking him out, evaluating something. "When I found out about this, I found it hard to believe. I was wondering, what would make Pei Yan willing—"

"What are you two doing here?"

Another voice sounded, accompanied by approaching footsteps.

Shen Ju glanced over and his eyes lit up.

"Brother Pei—"

Pei Yan walked over, standing between Pei Tai and Shen Ju. He looked at Shen Ju, then at Pei Tai: "What are you doing here?"

His tone was a bit sharp.

"This was your mother's greenhouse when she was alive. Is there any reason I can't come here to look around?" Pei Tai replied, looking at Pei Yan.

Shen Ju couldn't help but feel surprised.

Brother Pei's mother...

What about that little building next to it?

"There's nothing worth seeing here."

Pei Yan glanced around. "I rarely come here myself."

"But if you want to stay, then stay."

Pei Yan gave a slight smirk, then reached out and took Shen Ju's arm. "His parents are looking for him. I'm taking him back. We're leaving now."

Pei Tai paused, glanced at the two, and then gave a "hmm."

Pei Yan led Shen Ju away.

Shen Ju let out a sigh of relief and hurried after Pei Yan.

After they had gotten some distance away, he spoke up:

"Brother Pei, are my parents looking for me? I'll call them first—"

"No."

"Huh?"

Pei Yan led Shen Ju around another corner, stopping in a secluded, deserted spot.

"I was looking for you." Pei Yan turned to face Shen Ju.

Shen Ju was startled. "Then why did you just... lie to your father?"

"I didn't want him to know."

Pei Yan pulled Shen Ju closer, reaching out to caress Shen Ju's hair, and murmured, "Don't get too close to him."

Who? Brother Pei's father? Why?

Though puzzled, seeing Pei Yan's gaze fixed on him, Shen Ju hesitated for a moment but still nodded without asking why.

"So good."

Pei Yan reached out and touched Shen Ju's cheek.

"Aren't you afraid I might trick you?"

Shen Ju tilted his head. "Brother Pei wouldn't."

"Why wouldn't I? Maybe I'd try to deceive you."

Shen Ju thought for a moment and repeated, "Brother Pei wouldn't."

Pei Yan gave a low laugh, seemingly somewhat helpless.

Then he spread his arms to Shen Ju. "Is it too late for comfort now?"

"Not too late."

"How could it be?"

Shen Ju thought silently.

Then he also spread his arms and, like a little sparrow, flung himself into Pei Yan's embrace.

Actually, he felt it wasn't him comforting Pei Yan, but Pei Yan comforting him now.

Shen Ju hadn't meant to.

But seeing Pei Yan open his arms to him, his emotions welled up all at once.

Earlier, when 996 asked him, he hadn't cried.

But now, nestled in Pei Yan's arms, he wanted to cry.

But Shen Ju had to hold back.

He couldn't cry.

So he nuzzled deeper into Pei Yan's embrace.

Trying to suppress his welling eyes with the tightness of the hug.

Pei Yan sensed immediately something was wrong.

He abruptly frowned and placed a hand on Shen Ju's back.

"What's wrong?"

Shen Ju shook his head.

But this reaction only made Pei Yan more certain—the boy in his arms was in an unusually downcast state.

"Shen Jiujiu," Pei Yan said in a low voice, "Didn't I tell you before, whether anything's wrong or not, you can always talk to me."

He inexplicably recalled system 996's hesitant reaction during their last video call.

So, had that system finally said something to Shen Ju when he wasn't around?

What did it say?

Pei Yan's frown deepened.

He thought to himself that if he asked, Shen Ju wouldn't tell him.

And indeed, Shen Ju still shook his head and remained silent.

As if pressing something back, after a pause, he finally spoke in a tone that seemed calm all along. "Really, it's nothing."

That meant it was definitely something.

And it was likely a more complicated issue than the current one.

Otherwise, Shen Ju wouldn't be reacting like this.

But Pei Yan didn't know.

He didn't know where to start.

Ever since learning about the system 996 that Shen Ju had, he had been intentionally or unintentionally approaching or drawing closer to Shen Ju. At first, it was with a purpose—whether tutoring or deliberately drawing closer to Shen Ju, Pei Yan never denied that he'd approached this boy with an agenda. Because the things about Shen Ju exceeded his comprehension and had many connections, he needed to learn more.

But now, wanting to know more about Shen Ju was no longer for the sake of gathering information, but just simply for Shen Ju himself.

Yet Pei Yan also knew that Shen Ju had his stubborn moments.

If he didn't want to talk, he wouldn't say a word.

Pei Yan waited for a moment, but neither Shen Ju nor 996 spoke up.

He couldn't get any information.

This inevitably made Pei Yan somewhat agitated.

He had discovered a "loophole."

As long as he wasn't by Shen Ju's side, whatever Shen Ju said to the system or whatever happened was beyond his control.

Moreover, as long as Shen Ju stopped talking about it with 996, there was no way for him to find out.

Pei Yan frowned hard, his expression darkening for a moment.

This kind of uncontrollable situation...

He had anticipated such a scenario long ago.

He just hadn’t expected that when it actually happened, he would feel far more agitated and frustrated than he had imagined.

He hated seeing Shen Ju like this.

The key was, he didn’t even know the reason.

Even if he pushed him more, Shen Ju wouldn’t say a word.

What was he supposed to do—

"Uh—"

"Uncle—"

Pei Yan raised his gaze and looked at Guan Mulin and Pei Haochuan, who had appeared at some point.

Guan Mulin was frowning, and Pei Haochuan’s mouth was hanging open.

Clearly, neither of them had expected to walk in on something like this.

Shen Ju also heard their voices. He paused, seemingly sniffled a little, and then lifted his head from Pei Yan’s embrace.

Pei Haochuan was still processing: "You... uh, what’s going on—"

Guan Mulin walked right over, first glancing at Shen Ju: "What’s wrong?"

Pei Yan, sensing something, spoke up before Shen Ju could say anything, implying: "I noticed Shen Ju was upset. I asked him what happened, but he wouldn’t say."

Guan Mulin was surprised for a moment, then pursed his lips.

"I’m really fine," Shen Ju said softly.

Guan Mulin glanced at Shen Ju and added, "Maybe he’s just feeling down because school is starting soon."

Shen Ju mumbled, "Yeah."

But the excuse was pretty weak.

After all, it had only been a few days since the Lunar New Year ended.

The new semester was still a long way off.

But Pei Yan seemed to believe it and didn’t press further.

Guan Mulin then turned to Shen Ju: "Let’s go. Mom and Dad are probably looking for us."

"Okay."

Shen Ju pursed his lips, glanced at Pei Yan, and didn't want to stick around any longer. He was afraid he might accidentally let something slip in front of Pei Yan.

What should he do?

Shen Ju suddenly realized how dependent he was on Pei Yan.

This couldn’t go on.

He needed to stay away from Pei Yan.

Aside from doing what he had to do, there couldn’t be anything more between them.

It was better for everyone that way.

But even as he thought this, Shen Ju’s mood still felt pretty down.

He told 996 it was fine—soon, he would be able to adjust.

Shen Ju felt he needed a change of environment.

A brief escape—no, a chance to get his head straight. Once he figured things out, he could continue with his tasks.

The main issue was that staying at home too long would "corrupt" him.

He couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

Feeling the weight in his body, Shen Ju thought he needed to clear his head.

So he called Jian Yi and asked if he could crash at his place for a few days.

"Not even a few days, just... just a day or two would be enough."

Shen Ju pleaded softly: "Is that cool, bro?"

Jian Yi frowned on the other end of the line: "It’s not impossible, but what’s with the sudden plan to come back?"

"It’s not sudden. Can’t I just miss you?"

"Shen Jiujiu, cut it out."

Jian Yi paused: "If your family has no objections, then come stay for a few days. The top bunk’s... still free. I’ll tidy it up for you."

Shen Ju heard him clearly and smiled: "You’re setting up my spot again?"

"What ‘your spot’?"

Jian Yi tsked: "We did a spring cleaning at home recently. We tossed a bunch of junk, so your top bunk is free now."

"Perfect."

Shen Ju perked up a little: "I’ll come stay for a few days."

"Mm."

When Shen Ju decided to go to Jian Yi’s place, the Guan family didn’t stop him.

............

He seemed to know where Shen Ju had gone, which was why he picked this exact time to call Guan Mulin. The first thing he said was—

"I know about that System 996, and I'm aware of the tasks Shen Ju is working on."

Guan Mulin's "Brother Pei, what's the matter?" got stuck in his throat, followed by a gasp—

"What?!"

Pei Yan's voice, however, remained unusually calm: "Just like all of you, I can hear the conversations between Shen Ju and the System 996."

Guan Mulin gaped, noticing that Pei Yan had said "you guys."

He nearly stammered: "How... how did you..."

"So, do you and your family have any time?"

Without paying any attention to Guan Mulin's reaction, Pei Yan continued almost without pause: "I think we need to meet. I have something to talk about with you guys."