Chapter 65 Success or Failure in Rain

Chapter 65: Make or Break in the Rain

The sky cleared.

The summer camp was cut short, not because of the days of relentless rain, but because of a murder Shen Shiyan knew all too well.

The people involved were now in the hospital room—one with a calm smile, the other with a guilty face.

"Dad was really worried about you," Shen Siyu said, standing and pulling out a pack of cigarettes, then remembering he was in a hospital and putting it away. "We've all been worried sick these past few days."

"Ah... yeah, I've been blaming myself a lot," Lin Yuan chimed in, his words light and unconvincing.

Shen Shiyan saw right through it but kept quiet. Only the three of them were there; the other two had clearly talked behind his back, and without solid evidence, causing a scene wouldn't do him any good.

Shen Shiyan leaned back against the bed and said flatly, "Thanks, Teacher Lin."

"Mr. Shen the Good Samaritan, you're way too nice," Shen Sicheng said, sitting by the bed and shoving a peeled apple into Shen Shiyan's hand, then glancing at the others. "Shen Siyu, you showed up empty-handed?"

Shen Shiyan took a bite of the apple.

"Came in a rush, I'll make it up next time," Shen Siyu replied, his smile unwavering.

Shen Sicheng crossed his arms and nodded toward the door. "No need for that."

"Shen Sicheng!" Shen Siyu's face showed a flash of embarrassment, his voice rising.

"Shen Siyu," Shen Sicheng replied coldly. "I heard you landed the development project for this rainforest."

Shen Siyu stayed silent. Lin Yuan's eyes were glued to Shen Shiyan's right arm, his hands shaking uncontrollably at his sides. Outside, a nurse's cart rolled by, its wheels scraping the floor with a dull sound.

Shen Sicheng watched his second brother's eyes darken and smirked. "Watch your back during those project inspections, CEO Shen."

Shen Siyu's face turned colder. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing." Shen Sicheng stood up, grabbed the little trash can from the cabinet, and held it out for Shen Shiyan to toss the apple core into.

He set it down, walked slowly toward Shen Siyu, and put a hand on Lin Yuan's shoulder, but his words were for Shen Siyu. "Just a reminder, Second Brother—you never know when a hand might shove you from behind."

Lin Yuan's face went pale, sweat forming on his forehead. A blast of cold air from the AC made him shiver.

"Oh, you okay there, Teacher Lin?" Shen Sicheng glanced at Lin Yuan, his tone over the top.

"N-nothing at all," Lin Yuan stammered.

Shen Sicheng said no more. Shen Shiyan just stared out the window, his left hand fiddling with a wet wipe after putting down the apple. The room went silent.

The door suddenly burst open. Shen Ci walked in, holding a cup of pineapple slush he'd bought from a shop across the street from the hospital.

"D-ddy!..."

Before he could finish, the smile dropped from Shen Ci's face. "Why are you two here?"

His tone was full of hostility, his eyes sharp and wary. Since Shen Shiyan had been hospitalized, Shen Ci had stayed in the same room, practically glued to his side 24/7. Today it was hot, and Shen Shiyan was craving something cold, so Shen Ci happily ran downstairs to get it. Coming back to find these two, his good mood vanished.

Shen Siyu remembered the fierce little wolf from that rainy day and turned his gaze to Shen Shiyan on the bed.

"Shiyan, kids go through a rebellious phase. You should discipline him when needed."

At that, Shen Shiyan's calm expression cracked. His eyes locked with Shen Siyu's, a chill filling the air.

Having spent so long in the Shen family, Shen Shiyan could no longer tell if being part of the elite was better than being an ordinary person. But either way, he found it sickening and disgusting when the instigator stood on a moral high ground to judge—especially when that judgment was directed at Shen Ci.

"Make or break in the rain," Shen Shiyan said meaningfully, gesturing with his left hand for Shen Ci to come closer, his gaze unwavering. "Shen Ci doesn't need your concern, Second Brother. He's fine. He doesn't need education."

Shen Shiyan took a small sip of the slush Shen Ci scooped up and fed to him. The sweet pineapple fragrance spread through his mouth, melting into liquid as it slid down his throat.

They weren't biologically father and son, and the age gap wasn't huge. To outsiders, this gesture might seem awkward, even a bit intimate, but Shen Shiyan didn't care. Since he chose to back Shen Ci, he wouldn't refuse what Shen Ci offered.

No one understood Shen Ci better than Shen Shiyan, and no one had the right to say Shen Ci lacked upbringing.

Shen Sicheng had already grabbed another pineapple slush and was eating it. He pointed bluntly at the door, mocking, "Take your time. No need to see you out."

The hospital door slammed shut with a bang.

Shen Sicheng, in a good mood, stood to Shen Shiyan's right and poked his casted right arm. "What's with the sudden philosophical talk?"

Shen Shiyan said, "He knows it himself."

Because of the rain, Shen Siyu had the chance to push Shen Shiyan off.

And because of the rain, Shen Shiyan didn't hit the ground directly. When he was pushed, two crooked trees growing from the cliff face caught him, cushioning his fall. The river below had risen, and he landed in the water near the shore. If not for a few sharp rocks nearby, he might have only suffered minor injuries.

Shen Sicheng couldn't be bothered to think further. Seeing Shen Ci feed Shen Shiyan another spoonful of slush, he slapped Shen Shiyan's leg in frustration. "Shen Shiyan, did you break your hand? You need Little Ci Baby to feed you?"

"..."

Shen Shiyan turned to look at him, then at his own right arm.

Shen Ci almost laughed. He scooped up a big spoonful and offered it to Shen Sicheng, but Shen Shiyan calmly stopped him. "I want to eat it."

The spoonful of slush hung in the air for two seconds before finally being brought to Shen Shiyan's lips.

"I can't be bothered with you," Shen Sicheng muttered, helping himself. The door opened again, and Qi Zizhu walked in with lunch.

"Can't be bothered with what?" she asked with a smile, taking out the soup from the insulated container and setting it on a small table.

Shen Sicheng caught the rich aroma of black chicken soup, momentarily forgetting about the slush. He moved closer to Qi Zizhu. The soup's scent was strong, but a faint, cool bamboo fragrance reached his nose first.

"What brand of perfume is that? Smells nice." Shen Sicheng wanted to sniff her wrist directly but held back.

Qi Zizhu ladled the soup, a red string tied around her wrist. She smiled and said, "Zizhu Mist. A very niche brand I stumbled upon. Since it had my name in it, I bought it to try."

Shen Sicheng nodded and took a bowl of soup.

Shen Ci was about to grab a bowl to continue feeding Shen Shiyan when his phone buzzed. It was a message from Song Qiuchi.

"Song Qiuchi: [Image]"

"Song Qiuchi: Still haven't sent the English homework."

"Song Qiuchi: My condolences.JPG"

School had started two days ago. Song Xianghan had taken her and Gao Mengying back to Yuncheng first. The image she sent showed Shen Ci's desk, piled high with worksheets from various teachers.

Shen Ci zoomed in to look carefully. There were at least eight or nine sheets, mostly math. He frowned and replied to Song Qiuchi.

"Shen Ci: Hope there aren't more."

Song Qiuchi had organized them for him, clipped them together, and sent another picture.

"Song Qiuchi: More to come."

"Song Qiuchi: Haha, serves you right.JPG"

She had somewhat avenged herself for Shen Ci sending her an 18K HD photo of a spider, getting a three-word reply from Shen Ci: "I hate you."

Shen Ci held his phone low; Shen Shiyan could easily look up to see the screen, but he didn't.

"What's wrong?" Shen Shiyan asked him directly.

"Nothing." Shen Ci put his phone away. "Just missed a few days of class, so I have a ton of homework."

After saying that, he scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it, and held it to Shen Shiyan's lips.

Hesitating for a moment before opening his mouth, Shen Shiyan no longer felt the ease of being fed ice cream by Shen Ci; it was like he'd just woken up.

He was only fifteen.

Shen Shiyan felt he'd been going too far lately.