Chapter 81: I Like It Very Much
The room fell silent, but Lin Seran’s eyes remained full of hatred.
In this day and age, there were too many commoners who went viral for a fleeting moment; compared to his fan base and status, they weren’t worth mentioning. It was just that the current heat was particularly intense.
The manager offered some earnest comfort, but it didn’t look like Lin Seran was listening at all. He simply leaned back on the sofa with a cold face, saying nothing.
Just as the manager was about to continue, a thought suddenly struck him, and he stopped abruptly. “Wait a minute, you aren’t thinking of doing something to him, are you?”
Lin Seran glanced at him but said nothing.
The manager frowned, immediately knowing exactly what he was thinking. He said sternly, “Don’t you dare try any petty tricks right now. He really is just a commoner, but with the amount of traffic he’s getting, anything you do will easily backfire on you.”
He knew Lin Seran might have known or seen Wen Yan before, but he didn’t know what the conflict between the two actually was.
The internet was digging into Wen Yan’s background so aggressively that the manager had looked into it as well. Wen Yan’s background was clean. He had worked as a model for a while, but that ended because the now-fallen Gu Yulan hadn’t allowed it.
He looked at Lin Seran suspiciously.
Lin Seran waved his hand impatiently. “I know, I know.”
The manager was silent for a moment before responding, “I’ve got it. Just stay quiet. President Pei and I will handle things for you.”
Taking the money meant doing the job well. This was the code of conduct he had accumulated over many years in the chaotic entertainment industry; otherwise, he wouldn’t have cleaned up so many of Lin Seran’s messes or done so many things he personally looked down upon.
Lin Seran perked up instantly, flashing a sweet smile, once again looking like the “pure and willful” person his fans believed him to be. He sat up straight. “Thanks, Brother. I knew you and Brother Zhouye were the best to me.”
Pei Zhouye’s indulgence toward Lin Seran was something everyone took for granted.
During this period, Wen Yan had to be extremely cautious whenever he stepped out.
Wen Yan knew the video of him being secretly filmed had gone viral, but he didn’t think much of it, simply treating himself as a high-traffic commoner “influencer” who was easily recognized on the street.
Lately, too many people were asking for photos, and he was prone to being blocked on his way to class. The classrooms that used to have many empty seats were now packed for every session. People were even filming the students from the hallways. In the end, the school issued a separate notice stating that auditing classes was temporarily prohibited to avoid interfering with normal teaching activities.
Wen Yan started avoiding people. Fortunately, it was the season for willow catkins, so everyone was wearing thin, similar-looking clothes and masks. Putting on a mask covered most of his features.
He did his best to keep his head down, looking at his phone, trying to vanish into the crowd.
WeChat buzzed.
[ Pei Zhouye: Wen Yan, I’m waiting for you at the back gate. The license plate is XXXX. ]
Wen Yan glanced at it but had no intention of replying. A minute passed, and another message arrived.
[ Pei Zhouye: Baobao, are you almost here? ]
Wen Yan bit down on the dead skin on his lower lip—a result of A City’s overly dry climate—as his fingers typed a reply.
[ Wen Yan: If you call me that again, I’m blocking you. ]
He had issued a strict prohibition before; if Pei Zhouye did it again, he truly would block and delete him. Pei Zhouye had been unusually obedient for a short while.
[ Pei Zhouye: I just wanted you to reply to me… ]
With this back-and-forth of nonsense, it wasn’t long before he reached the school gate.
Parked at the entrance was a basic white BYD, very much in the style of an e-hailing car. It looked like a taxi waiting for a customer who had booked a ride online.
Wen Yan walked over, checked the plate, and climbed inside.
The back door opened, and Wen Yan looked up, meeting the direct impact of a handsome face.
Pei Zhouye was wearing a set of light casual clothes. The wide neckline of his cream-colored top revealed a sparkling necklace around his throat, which perfectly complemented his exceptionally handsome features.
It was a very familiar diamond necklace.
Wen Yan froze in place as he stared at it.
Those peach-blossom eyes curved, and a smug grin played on Pei Zhouye’s lips. “Yanyan, long time no see.”
Wen Yan quickly sat in the car, his face cold, though his ears were turning so red they looked like they might bleed.
That necklace was one Pei Zhouye had given him once before. A long time ago, while they were still at the villa, Wen Yan had thrown that very necklace into the trash.
Pei Zhouye tried to take his hand, but Wen Yan dodged.
Pei Zhouye looked somewhat aggrieved. “Wen Yan, we haven’t seen each other in so long. If I want to see you, I have to sneak around like a secret.”
“Wen Yan, we don’t seem like friends. We seem like…”
Wen Yan, who had been holding his breath in silence, hurriedly interrupted, afraid Pei Zhouye would say something shocking again.
“Did you go digging through the trash?”
Pei Zhouye stopped mid-sentence, his smile never wavering as he admitted it candidly. “I did.”
Wen Yan was speechless. Pei Zhouye, a grand young master, actually admitted to digging through the trash so matter-of-factly.
Pei Zhouye leaned in closer. “I picked it back up the day you threw it away. I thought you just didn’t like this particular one.”
“But this is one you’ve worn.” He looked a bit dejected. “I like it very much. Wen Yan, I like it very much.”
It wasn’t just a necklace. He was like a perverted, paranoid collector, frantically gathering everything related to Wen Yan. Photos of Wen Yan, clothes of Wen Yan, places where Wen Yan had slept. In the villa, everything Wen Yan had left behind had been meticulously organized by him.
Pei Zhouye couldn’t let go of the things Wen Yan had discarded. He couldn’t bear to let go of Wen Yan, so he couldn’t bear to let go of the traces Wen Yan left behind.
Wen Yan didn’t know what Pei Zhouye was thinking, nor did he know what the man had done.
This meeting today was only because Pei Zhouye had been on his best behavior recently and had requested it multiple times. Fearing that Pei Zhouye would cause a scene, Wen Yan had finally agreed.
The driver pulled into an underground parking lot, and the two of them entered the S-class VIP elevator together. When the elevator doors opened, there was another entrance.
A wooden lattice door, full of ancient charm, stood before them. Beside it, however, were two men in black suits guarding the entrance. They were powerfully built and looked completely out of place in such an environment.
Upon seeing Pei Zhouye, they stood and opened the wooden door.
A faint woody fragrance drifted through the air. The artificial landscaping was exquisitely beautiful, featuring a clear pond with budding water lilies and a small path paved with pebbles. The overall look was that of a small garden, making it impossible to imagine they were inside a high-rise building.
Graceful male and female servers stood nearby with their heads bowed, never looking up at the guests’ faces.
Pei Zhouye took Wen Yan’s hand, naturally leading him toward the private room. He was still bothered by the fact that Wen Yan had been on so many people’s minds lately, and his tone carried a hint of bitterness. “It’s a good thing you didn’t actually become a celebrity. Otherwise, this would feel like an affair.”
“Why can’t the two of us just be open about…”
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