Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Chen Zhen and Shen Rong had far too many spontaneous ideas. Even though Shen Yue was long used to their whims, this time he was still utterly shocked.

For several days in a row, Chen Zhen had arranged meetings for him with a certain girl. Shen Yue either dodged them by claiming he was busy with work or used Zhao Lian as cover. He felt sorry that his parents had finally come back, yet now he found even answering their calls torturous.

Apart from dealing with Chen Zhen’s barrage of blind date calls, another major issue Shen Yue faced recently was losing control of his hands and words whenever he was around Wei Jinchuan—though he hadn’t suffered any real losses yet, he genuinely didn’t want to end up like in that dream. After trying both fighting it and praying to no avail, he opted for a more modern approach: making an online post.

His reasoning was simple: it’s a big world full of strange things. If his body was acting on its own now, perhaps others had experienced something similar before him. As the saying goes, it’s better to learn from others' experiences than to struggle alone. What if he found someone with a comparable experience? Wouldn’t that solve his problem?

Thus, Shen Yue, a staunch materialist, registered an account on a popular Q&A website and made a post seeking advice. To increase the chances of getting accurate responses, he explained the situation in as much detail as possible without revealing his identity.

The website was quite active, and soon someone replied: [Are you saying you’re the protagonist of a novel, you’ve become self-aware, but world consciousness is preventing you from awakening? Is that what you mean?]

Shen Yue, who was too busy in real life to surf the web, was both astonished and vaguely enlightened by the term “world consciousness”: [Does something like world consciousness really exist?]

That person didn’t respond. Instead, someone else commented: [Finally, someone has noticed? I’ve actually suspected for years that this world is a novel. Based on that theory, I’ve been conducting research for a long time. I would’ve had results within three years at the latest, but recently I’ve hit a bottleneck and am short on funds. V me 50 to crowdfund my research plan—let’s uncover the truth of this world together!]

Shen Yue spent two seconds processing this comment. Although the person seemed like a scammer—and the old Shen Yue would’ve dismissed them outright—his recent experiences had made him more open to inexplicable phenomena. Besides, 500,000 yuan was just chump change; if the research led nowhere, he could simply treat it as a failed investment. No big loss.

He had always been a proactive person. With no other solutions in sight, rather than wallowing in self-pity, why not give it a shot? Maybe it’ll work.

To be safe, he sent the person a private message: [Is 50 enough?]

The person was online and quickly replied with a question mark.

Shen Yue: [I can fund your research, but I want firsthand results. The faster, the better. I’m willing to pay more if necessary.]

The person: [Are you insane?]

Shen Yue: [Send me your bank account number.]

The status showed “typing” for several minutes before a bank card number finally appeared. Without a second thought, Shen Yue transferred 500,000 yuan to it.

Two minutes later, his phone buzzed with a transfer confirmation followed by a barrage of insults: [Are you out of your mind? Did you slip and add four extra zeros? I was just playing around, and you’re trying to get me arrested, huh?]

Confirmed: definitely a scammer.

Unexpected, yet not entirely surprising. Though Shen Yue had braced himself for the possibility, he still felt a bit let down.

Over time, more comments trickled in—mostly outright mockery, with a few others throwing around fancy terms in obvious attempts to deceive him.

Having learned his lesson, Shen Yue ignored the subsequent replies and tossed his phone aside, opting for out of sight, out of mind.

A few days later, while out drinking, even the usually oblivious Zhao Lian noticed something was off and asked, “What’s up with you lately? You seem distracted.”

“Don’t even ask,” Shen Yue said, unwilling to bring up Wei Jinchuan, so he brought up his blind date troubles instead. “You know my parents are back, right?”

Zhao Lian looked puzzled. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Why so down?”

“They want me to get married,” Shen Yue lamented. “They call me a dozen times a day. I’m even dreaming about blind dates now.”

Zhao Lian pictured the scenario but couldn’t relate to Shen Yue’s plight—in fact, he found it rather amusing.

Hearing his laughter, Shen Yue said darkly, “Speaking of which, you’re at that age too. I’ll call your sister tomorrow and have her set you up. Your family line shouldn't die with you.”

“Screw you,” Zhao Lian laughed and cursed. “If you’re going to hell, go alone. Don’t drag me down with you.”

Shen Yue didn’t respond, downing his drink in silence.

Zhao Lian, who had a young man snuggled up to him, asked curiously, “But seriously, who did your parents set you up with? Do I know her? What does she look like?”

Shen Yue shook his head. “Haven’t met her.”

“At least tell me which family she’s from. Maybe I know her?”

“You don’t,” Shen Yue retorted, tired of the prying. “My parents met her while traveling abroad. Apparently, she saved them during a landslide in some remote village, and now they think she’s perfect for me.”

Zhao Lian chuckled. “What era is this? Are we still doing the ‘marrying to repay a debt’ trope?”

“Not just that—they’ve updated it to ‘the child paying the parents’ debt.’” The more Shen Yue thought about it, the more annoyed he felt. The young man pouring drinks beside him quickly stepped in to rub his temples.

Seeing Shen Yue so miserable was a rare sight, and Zhao Lian couldn’t help but gloat. “They mean well. Why not just meet her? Who knows, you might change your mind. If you don’t like her, just say so. It’s not like you’re losing anything.”

Shen Yue shot him a sidelong glance. “You seem so interested. Next time my parents set up a blind date, want me to send you the address?”

“No thanks,” Zhao Lian said, raising his hands in surrender. He enjoyed joking around but had zero interest in women.

Shen Yue found his friend’s attitude concerning and narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what it sounds like—a marriage of convenience. Isn’t that how everyone in our circle plays it?” Zhao Lian shrugged. “As long as it’s clear upfront, you can do your own thing outside while handing your paycheck over at home. Think of it as hiring an employee. As long as you keep up appearances, your parents probably won’t complain.”

“No thanks,” Shen Yue said, swirling his glass. His thoughts drifted between his parents and Wei Jinchuan’s face. “I’m not in the mood lately. I’ve been wrapped up in something else.”

Zhao Lian asked curiously, “What things? Another money-making scheme?”

“…No.”

Shen Yue downed the rest of his drink. Perhaps the alcohol gave him courage, or maybe nighttime always invited introspection. After hesitating, he finally voiced his concern: “Zhao Lian, I think I’m cursed.”

Author's Note:

Thank you to the calm and collected Koi Baby for the bottle of nutrients. Even after a four-day hiatus, there are still fans who still remember Shen Yue—I’m genuinely touched [crying][crying][crying].

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