Chapter 38

Chapter 38

An hour ago, in Room A01.

Yan Shiying loosened the knot of his tie.

After spending a few days at sea, even the air felt salty and damp.

The shrimp curry on the table, the seafood buffet, the Michelin restaurant, and even the fruit teas seemed saturated with that brine.

It was all tasteless.

He walked toward the walk-in closet and unbuttoned his shirt.

When he slid open the door, Yan Shiying’s gaze turned serious.

A man-beast was hiding in his wardrobe, wearing handcuffs and shackles, looking at him with eyes full of hostility, panic, and above all, wariness.

The moment he opened the door, he had indeed faintly heard the rattle of chains.

With this wild man’s presence, the sparse shirts originally hanging in the closet now seemed crowded. Strands of black, seaweed-like hair had slipped out.

Yan Shiying returned to the bedroom. On the wall was an emergency button, directly connected to the security department.

He took a handgun from the nightstand and tucked it into the back of his waistband.

Then he went back to the dressing room.

However, the guy was already gone.

Sounds came from the dining area.

*Quick little shit*, he cursed inwardly, walking to the table. He saw Sand hiding behind the sofa, holding the half-eaten shrimp pancake left from breakfast.

Sand knew he had been discovered. He looked up and froze, his seaweed-like hair covering one eye and half his face.

Yan Shiying approached him. Sand held his breath, watching Yan Shiying like a cornered animal.

Other than that, he showed no sign of attacking.

Suddenly, he moved.

Yan Shiying’s hand went for his gun at the same time.

But he saw Sand plant his hands on the table, carefully place the half-eaten pancake down, and nudge it forward.

He still had the pancake in his mouth, neither swallowed nor chewed, his cheeks puffed out like a food-hoarding squirrel.

Yan Shiying lowered his hand.

This guy looked much younger than Yan Shizhou, probably only around twenty.

At such a young age, he was already a reigning champion of the Arena.

The man-beast had clearly been hiding here since last night. He hadn't harmed him while he slept.

Beyond wariness and fear, those eyes held no other impurities.

He saw red marks all over Sand’s hands and a newly seared brand on his chest, still vividly red.

He had heard that the "beasts" in the Arena were punished for mistakes. It seemed Sand was no exception.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Sand had been missing for a full day and night. Without their star attraction, the Arena was in a frenzy.

They were searching everywhere for Sand to report to their superiors when they received an emergency call. Suspecting Sand had broken into this room, they rushed over, following the "hyenas" who pointed here.

Sand was undoubtedly inside.

But as soon as the door opened, a gun was pressed against their heads.

The Black and White Hats had run rampant on the ship for years, but this was the first time they were so completely stunned.

They had heard the occupant was the second young master of the southern Yan family and not to be trifled with, but they expected to just offer some polite words. They never expected to run into a brick wall.

"Mr. Yan, wasn't it you who pressed the emergency button?"

"I never pressed anything." Yan Shiying’s voice was as hard as the steel in his hand.

The Black and White Hats, mindful of his background, swallowed their anger and could only slink away.

Yan Shiying tucked the handgun back into his waistband and checked the window. It was deformed and bent, forced open by brute strength. There were still traces of blood on the sill.

He could imagine Sand breaking in last night, walking past his bedside with the stealthy steps of a predator all the way to the closet.

And he, in his sleep, hadn't noticed a thing.

His eyes grew stern.

It seemed the people from the Arena would be back soon.

Before that, he would let this poor beast of a kid have something to eat.

Yan Shiying made a phone call and ordered steak and fruit salad.

The food arrived quickly.

Sand didn't know how to use chopsticks or cutlery and was about to eat with his hands.

With a sigh of resignation, Yan Shiying took him to the bathroom to wash his hands and face.

He noticed the nails had been filed to sharp points, like feline claws. It was clear the Arena, to stimulate his savagery for the matches, had intentionally molded him into a "beast."

Those hands trembled slightly under the water as it stung the wounds, but the little beast didn't make a sound.

"I don't have time to babysit. Looks like I'll have to send you back," Yan Shiying said as he wiped the boy's face.

Sand understood and shook his head vigorously, his seaweed-like hair flying.

Yan Shiying tossed the towel into the water.

Picking up scissors, he cut off all that cumbersome hair.

For a twenty-year-old raised among brutes on a diet of raw meat, Sand’s face was clean and youthful once washed.

Moreover, having rarely seen daylight, his skin was much paler than most.

Now with both eyes fully exposed, the raw beastliness and a delicate humanity were both starkly visible in those dark eyes.

His hair was thick and raven-black, making his complexion appear even paler, yet there was a faint flush of agitation on his pale cheeks.

Yan Shiying once again used a towel to wipe away the fine hair clippings from his face.

The warm towel glided over his cheeks like wiping a soft sponge cake.

After finishing this, sand picked up the steak again with clean hands, the handcuffs clinking on the table.

Yan Shiying sat beside him without correcting him.

Just then, the doorbell rang again.

sand instinctively trembled.

It seemed the second group of Black-and-White Hats had arrived.

Yan Shiying stood up to answer the door, but Little Cake grabbed his hand, seemingly terrified of being sent back.

Yan Shiying tried to pull away, only to realize the guy’s strength was inhumanly powerful, no different from a real beast.

He was nearly tackled to the ground.

“This is only going to make things worse,” Yan Shiying warned him.

“Mr. Yan! Mr. Yan! Are you alright?! We’re coming in!”

Seeing no one answer the door, several Black-and-White Hats took the chance to force their way in.

The door burst open.

Yan Shiying was just approaching the door. “Who gave you permission to barge in here?”

Seeing Yan Shiying’s unruffled composure, the leader smiled. “Mr. Yan, don’t misunderstand. A beast escaped from the Arena. We were worried you might be harmed, so we rushed over…”

Yan Shiying glanced at the man opposite him, who sported a distinctive mustache. He recognized him—a figure of considerable status among the Black-and-White Hats, akin to a second-in-command.

The Mustache Man glanced at the half-eaten steak on the table, sneered, and signaled his men to search the room.

Yan Shiying raised a hand to block them.

“We hope you’ll cooperate and not make a scene in a place like this,” the Mustache Man said with a smile.

“I don’t like cooperating with others.”

The Mustache Man’s eyes instantly lost all trace of amusement. He pointed a finger behind him. “Second Young Master Yan, my men have been polite to you out of respect for your status as a Yan family scion. But if you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, we’ll lose our patience!”

“To put it bluntly, do you even hold any standing in the Yan family of South Province anymore? I heard you didn’t even make it to the late patriarch’s funeral. Don’t tell me you didn’t want to go—the old man didn’t even mention you, did he? Ha, are you… really a Yan? Hah, Patriarch Yan won tens of billions at the Arena a few days ago. Didn’t you know?”

Yan Shiying’s face instantly turned ashen with disbelief. “You’re saying my eldest brother was here?”

How could his aloof and esteemed eldest brother, the head of the Yan family, possibly come to such a lowly, disreputable place?

The Mustache Man’s perception was razor-sharp; he knew a single, well-placed remark could shatter Yan Shiying’s defenses.

He clasped his hands behind his back, looking around at the others as if to say: See, he really knows nothing.

“It seems Patriarch Yan is quite benevolent toward those two bodyguards, sharing their company day and night. Yet you, his so-called ‘bastard brother’… I don’t recall him ever mentioning you.”

The phrase “bastard brother” struck a particularly vulnerable nerve in Yan Shiying.

Without any warning, Yan Shiying’s gun was jammed against the Mustache Man’s neck.

Almost simultaneously, all the Black-and-White Hats aimed their weapons at Yan Shiying.

The Mustache Man showed no fear, grinning with a taunting sneer. “So, a discarded son of the Yan family—thrown into the sea to feed the sharks—who would even know?”

Everyone laughed.

A flicker of calculation passed through Yan Shiying’s eyes. He knew he had once again committed the contemptible mistake of exposing his weakness too easily to the enemy.

In this situation, he also knew he truly couldn’t protect the kid. In fact, on this ship, no one could protect sand. Yan Shiying was almost ready to lower his gun.

“Who is a discarded son of the Yan family?” A deep, resonant voice sounded from the open doorway.

As the sun at sea was about to break through the clouds and rise, a figure entered. The light traced a stark, crimson outline on his stern face.

Everyone turned to look at him.

Xie Yunshen and Yi Wuyi followed behind Yan Shiqi.

Yan Shiqi’s gaze first fell on Yan Shiying, then slowly shifted to the Mustache Man. As his eyes moved, the warmth in them rapidly thinned, the change so palpable it sent a chill down the spine.

“Have I been away from the world for too long? Have our Yan family members fallen so low that they’re to be fed to sharks?”

The Mustache Man’s expression froze, thrown off balance by this sudden, imposing figure.

His voice rough, he forced a laugh. “You are… Mr. Yan… Ah, it’s all just a misunderstanding…”

Yan Shiqi looked at Yan Shiying.

Yan Shiying averted his gaze and slowly lowered the gun.

“Even if this isn’t the Yan family estate, the Second Young Master of the Yan family is not someone for outsiders to bully,” Yan Shiqi said, his eyes sweeping over the surrounding armed men.

The Mustache Man chuckled bitterly. “How would I dare bully anyone from your esteemed family? I merely hoped Second Young Master Yan would accommodate us and let my men take a look. A beast just escaped; we don’t want it harming the young master. Isn’t the young master being a bit too stubborn?”

Yan Shiqi walked over and sat down on the sofa by the window, looking meaningfully at Yan Shiying. “Since we’re on someone else’s turf, we should offer them convenience—it’s convenient for us too.”

Xie Yunshen and Yi Wuyi wordlessly took their places behind the sofa.

Yan Shiying had no choice but to step aside.

The Mustache Man’s face brightened. “The words of Patriarch Yan always carry a different weight.”

With Yan Shiqi present, the men could only be polite. They searched all possible hiding spots in the room but found nothing.

The Mustache Man’s expression fell as if he'd just lost a billion. “That brat got away again! Let’s go.”

The Black-and-White Hats had arrived in a whirlwind and now prepared to leave just as hastily.

“Wait,” Yan Shiying called out to them.

The Mustache Man turned back, his eyes filled with wary hostility. “What do you want to say, Second Young Master Yan?”

Yan Shiying: “Close the door!”

The Mustache Man took off his hat and smiled. “Goodbye.”

Then he slammed the door shut with a bang!

The room instantly fell silent. The rising red sun shone into the room, casting a long shadow of Patriarch Yan from the sofa onto the floor. The standing figures of Xie Yunshen and Yi Wuyi stretched all the way to the opposite wall.

At that moment, another figure slowly rose from behind the sofa—from between Xie Yunshen and Yi Wuyi.

It was Sand, the very person the man with the mustache had been desperately searching for.

When Xie Yunshen had walked over earlier, he had spotted him at a glance. Little did anyone know how hard he had struggled, forcing himself not to let his eyes wander.

Sand's hiding spot was just perfect; the only gap was exactly blocked by him and Yi Wuyi.

Yan Shiying tucked his gun at the small of his back and sat on the sofa opposite, looking at his elder brother. "How did you know he was hiding behind the sofa?"

It dawned on Xie Yunshen belatedly—so Patriarch Yan had known all along that the kid was hiding there?

"Ever since you were little, you've liked hiding things behind your back, just like that gun," Yan Shiqi said.

Indeed, Yan Shiying had deliberately kept his back to the sofa earlier.

Sand walked up to Yan Shiying, the shackles on his feet clinking.

Xie Yunshen looked at the face of this boy around twenty years old, finding it hard to believe this was the same guy who had fought a lion in the arena just days ago.

Curious, he poked the muscle on the boy's arm and let out a gasp of surprise to Yi Wuyi.

It was rock hard.

Sand immediately hid behind Yan Shiying.

Xie Yunshen's mouth twitched: Don't tell me the one he's imprinted on has become Yan Shiying.

"Second Brother, what are you doing here?" Yan Shiqi looked at him.

Yan Shiying rested his elbows on his knees, gazing at Yan Shiqi seated on the sofa. "Big Brother, I should be asking you that. You can't tell me you're unaware of the dangers here. Don't tell me you're here on vacation."

Xie Yunshen sighed. Clearly words of mutual concern, yet how did they turn out like this between the two brothers?

Yi Wuyi thought to himself, he really is here on vacation. Even now, not just Yan Shiying, but even Yi Wuyi found it unbelievable.

Yan Shiqi said, "Actually, it kind of is a vacation."

"..."

"..."

Yan Shiying suddenly pointed at Xie Yunshen. "Even if it's a vacation, why did you bring him?"

Xie Yunshen, suddenly put on the spot: "..."

After all, in Yan Shiying's mind, his impression of Xie Yunshen was still stuck a few years back.

Yan Shiqi said, "Have you forgotten the family rule? The Xie family will always be honored guests of the Yan family. Moreover, A Shen saved me and helped the Yan family, many times over. In my heart, he is more important than many others."

The speaker didn't mean it that way, but the listener took it to heart.

Xie Yunshen's heart instantly skipped a beat, his head feeling like it was steaming. This was just way too straightforward...

Yan Shiying stared, furrowing his brow, a cold, disdainful smile on his lips. "Just a useless freeloader relying on the Yan family!"

Yan Shiqi stood up, his expression cold and stern. "If you don't understand manners, go back to kindergarten and start over!"

Yan Shiying sat on the sofa, head lowered.

"Right, I'm the one who grew up outside. When it comes to etiquette, I'll always be the one who's not presentable."

*The Yan family can't accept me, Big Brother. You only remember me when you need me,* Yan Shiying thought.

Xie Yunshen sensed that Yan Shiying, who had been so imposing just moments ago, now seemed a bit hurt.

He really didn't understand. Yan Shiqi's two younger brothers, as young masters of the Yan family, why did they each have to compare themselves to the people around Yan Shiqi?

Yan Shizhou liking to compete with Yi Wuyi in front of Yan Shiqi was one thing, but now, Yan Shiying seemed to have a bit of a rivalry with him too.

Did they have a brother complex?

Xie Yunshen followed Yan Shiqi out of room A01.

Yi Wuyi stopped. "Second Young Master, a lot has happened in the Yan family recently that you are unaware of. Also, Little Xie has changed a lot."

After saying that, he went out to catch up with Yan Shiqi.

Yan Shiying's face was tense, his gaze cold as he stared ahead. Sand stood beside him, looking at him with confusion and bewilderment.

On the deck, the sea wind whistled past their faces. Yan Shiqi narrowed his eyes, watching the sparkling light on the sea surface.

Xie Yunshen stood beside him, not daring to speak.

After all, when the Patriarch was in a bad mood, the pressure was truly palpable.

"Don't take Second Brother's words to heart."

Me? How would I dare?

Xie Yunshen was taken aback.

Even as a bodyguard who had rendered service, he wouldn't be so presumptuous as to argue with the Yan family's Second Young Master.

Besides, as someone who had transmigrated into the book, he knew Yan Shiying was just someone who liked to talk tough.

For Yan Shiqi to defend him like that earlier made him feel incredibly honored.

"Actually, Second Young Master... he seems like the kind of child who longs for approval from his elders."

Yan Shiqi looked out at the sea and sky. "Ever since Second Brother followed his mother to the Yan family, Grandfather was always biased against him. In daily life, he always showed favoritism to others. Even in his final will, he never mentioned Shiying's name. That's why he's even less willing to come back now. Perhaps he still resents the Yan family."

Xie Yunshen said, "I don't think so. I feel like he wants your approval even more."

As far as he knew, in the novel, Yan Shiying's attitude towards the Top Star Gate was very similar to Yan Shiqi's. The old master had always believed in the prophecies of the Top Star Gate, coupled with his favoritism. Yan Shiying likely had long since lost any affection for the deceased old master.

But his own elder brother, as the future patriarch, although half-brothers, had always treated him equally.

That outstanding elder brother, since reaching adulthood, had been secretly investigating the issues with the Top Star Gate, unafraid of death threats.

Even after the old master's passing, he made sweeping reforms, daring to oppose the Top Star Gate.

Although Yan Shiying wouldn't say it out loud, in his heart, Yan Shiqi's status must be higher than that of the old master.

This wasn't Xie Yunshen's speculation; it was mentioned in the book.

Yan Shiqi gave a slight smile. "You think everyone is like you, seeing me through a filter."

Xie Yunshen stood frozen in place for a long time: "..."

What did that mean? Had the fact that he saw the big shot through rose-colored glasses already gotten back to the man himself?

"If you don't believe me, well... maybe you could try praising him in the future. That so-called rebellious phase of his would probably just vanish."

If there was anyone in this world who least wanted to see Yan Shiqi and Yan Shiying at odds, it was Xie Yunshen.

"Also, I think the so-called filter—actually, everyone has one for the people around them. I have mine for Old Five, Uncle Zhao, and Lin Jin."

Of course, the filter for that pretentious jerk Lin Jin was already deeply ingrained in his heart.

"Lin Jin?" Yan Shiqi's previously softened gaze turned cold again, darkly reflecting the sea.

"Yeah, although he loves to put on airs, he's actually quite decent at times." Like when treating Third Uncle's illness.

Xie Yunshen noticed that recently, Yan Shiqi and the male lead seemed to be on even worse terms. He said all this just hoping there wouldn't be too much hostility between them.

He simply didn't realize he had completely stepped on Yan Shiqi's sore spot.

"He's good?" The salty sea breeze mingled with Yan Shiqi's low, cold voice.

As soon as he saw Yan Shiqi's expression change, Xie Yunshen's heart gave a jolt. He really shouldn't have brought up that name in front of Mr. Yan.

"Uh, actually, he's pretty average too." Xie Yunshen shook his head solemnly.

"I don't like him." Yan Shiqi looked at him and stated bluntly.

!!!

That short sentence completely turned Xie Yunshen's understanding on its head. In his perception, Yan Shiqi would never say something so driven by personal bias.

He remembered Yan Shiqi's last evaluation of Lin Jin was still complimentary!

Xie Yunshen's heart suddenly grew heavy.

After all, in some ways, Lin Jin was Miss Bai's boyfriend—which meant he was Mr. Yan's love rival.

The path to saving the big shot felt long and arduous indeed.

And what was that bitter feeling in his heart all about?