Chapter 41: You Have No Right to Refuse Me
Hearing this, Shen Yuan was so frightened he couldn’t even hold his spoon steady. With a clang, it fell into the bowl. The joyful emotion in his eyes transformed into intense resistance and fear.
“No… no. I’m not going to Yu-爷爷’s birthday banquet. I’m going to tell Xiansheng I don’t want to go!” He cast aside the bowl and chopsticks. Disregarding his unhealed wounds, he stumbled toward the outside.
But because he was in such a hurry, he lost his footing. His legs went weak, and he fell heavily forward!
Wu Ma hurriedly ran over to help him up. She crouched down to pull his trousers straight and suddenly noticed that the wound on his calf had split, seeping with blood.
“Yuanyuan! Why is your leg bleeding? Let me take you to bandage it! Where are you running off to in such a rush?” Wu Ma’s face was full of heartache as she used a tissue to gently wipe away the continuously flowing blood.
Shen Yuan bit his lip hard from the pain. Tears rippled in his reddened eyes, yet he stubbornly refused to let them fall. “I… I’m fine…” He shook his head obediently, unwilling to cause trouble. He instinctively pulled his trousers tight to hide the wound.
“It’s bleeding—how can you be fine!” Wu Ma helped him sit on a chair and patted his shoulder. “Yuanyuan, wait for me here. I’ll get some medicine and a band-aid.”
“Wu Ma…” Shen Yuan wanted to refuse, but she had already walked out.
He lowered his head slightly, pursing his lips. He kicked his bare feet back and forth, appearing somewhat dejected.
The next second, he glimpsed a landline on the desk. A flash of joy appeared in his eyes. He cautiously climbed down from the chair and walked over to the phone.
“Mister Yu’s phone number…” Shen Yuan stood blankly before the desk for a long time, reciting the man’s number digit by digit.
After confirming it was correct, he reached out to press the numbers but immediately pulled his hand back. He stared at the landline, nervously picking at his fingers.
Mister Yu used to allow him to call twenty-four hours a day, but later he was forbidden from doing so. He said not to disturb his work for trivial matters.
That person had clearly promised him before… As long as he missed Xiansheng, he could call anytime, and the other would answer immediately.
At this thought, the little fool let out a silent sigh. His slender brows furrowed slightly, making him look somewhat sorrowful.
But immediately after, he remembered a more important matter—he had to refuse to go to the birthday banquet with Xiansheng! Shen Yuan immediately used the back of his hand to wipe his face. He summoned his courage, placed his hand on the phone, and pressed the number keys.
Then he pressed the receiver tightly against his small face, waiting for the sound of the call being connected.
“Beep, beep-beep…” After several dial tones, the other side connected. The man’s magnetic and deep voice sounded, “Hello?”
Shen Yuan felt his heart rate suddenly accelerate. His chest rose and fell incessantly. He tried his best to stabilize his emotions, but his trembling voice still betrayed his current panic. “Xi… Xiansheng… can… can I not go to Yu-爷爷’s bir… birthday banquet…?”
The other side paused for a second. For the first time, he didn’t refuse forcefully, instead asking, “Why?”
“Phew…” Shen Yuan exhaled to relieve his tense nerves and racing heart. He stammered, “I… I don’t like going there. There are too many people… Yu-爷爷 is very fierce. I want to sleep…”
At this moment, his appearance was as aggrieved as a wounded bird. His gaze was timid, his lips pursed. Deep expectation showed in those large, watery eyes.
On the other end of the phone, Yu Xiuqing was momentarily stunned by this soft and obedient plea. He let out a heavy breath but still refused harshly, threatening: “No. You have no right to refuse. Tomorrow afternoon, I will come and pick you up personally. Don’t think about escaping.”
Hearing this tone that allowed no negotiation, Shen Yuan lowered his eyes in disappointment. Deep bitterness welled up in his heart. The corners of his eyes grew moist, and he bit his lip hard to stop himself from crying.
Then, the person on the other end of the receiver asked, “Also, was Xiaoyao splashed with fish soup? Did you splash him?” The voice was extremely deep, filled with repressed anger and suspicion. It was like a sharp knife, cutting into the softest part of his heart bit by bit. It was a bloody and agonizing pain.
“No… it wasn’t me! It was Su Xiansheng who accidentally crashed into it himself… I didn’t do it…” Shen Yuan was in a panic. Tears finally rolled down uncontrollably. He wanted to explain, but the words reached his lips and he didn’t know how to speak clearly because he was too nervous.
He didn’t know what Su Huaiyao had said to Xiansheng to make the other think he had done it. Moreover, he couldn’t name Wu Ma. Xiansheng would surely punish Wu Ma for his beloved as well!
But his desperate explanation sounded to the man on the other end of the line like a weak, defensive lie. The other only felt irritable; listening to another word was a waste of time.
At this moment, Su Huaiyao’s soft and weak voice drifted over, “Xiuqing-gege, who are you talking to on the phone?”
“Shen Yuan, if you act out again, I won’t spare you.” The man deliberately lowered his voice to warn him, then hung up the phone heartlessly.
Shen Yuan didn’t even have the chance to speak again. Unexpectedly, however, Yu Xiuqing had only given a simple warning and hadn’t truly flown into a rage.
Listening to the cold dial tone, he silently placed the receiver back on the landline. He sat frozen in place, warm tears still falling incessantly. The youth sobbed softly, his voice trembling violently as if he had suffered a great grievance that he could not voice.
As expected, Xiansheng had refused him again…
A Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped at the Yu family’s old residence. Qi Yunzhao hurriedly got out and walked to the back. He respectfully opened the car door, his hand shielding the man’s head from the roof. “Sanye, we have arrived.”
“Mm.” Yu Xiuqing stepped out of the car. He was wearing a dark gray suit, which made his features appear even more well-defined and sharp. There was a cold sternness in his gaze that made people afraid to approach.
He turned and held out a hand to support the youth who was bending down to get out. “Be careful,” he said in a low voice.
Su Huaiyao gave him a sweet smile. He deliberately feigned a stumble and fell openly into the man’s sturdy chest, appearing shy. He then slowly found his footing and looked up at the luxurious old mansion ahead. “We’ll see Yu-爷爷 soon!” he said with eyes sparkling.
“Mm. Grandpa should miss you too.” Yu Xiuqing gave a perfunctory response, pushing the person who was lingering in his arms to the side.
At this moment, his attention was entirely on the youth who was curled into a ball in the back seat. “Get out,” he said in a deep voice.
Being heartlessly pushed away, Su Huaiyao looked displeased. His cheeks puffed out in annoyance, and he even rolled his eyes several times at Shen Yuan in the car to express his loathing.
But he could only feign good intentions and knock on the car window, saying in a strained voice, “Shen Yuan, we’re at Yu-爷爷’s house~”
Shen Yuan was curled in the corner with his knees hugged to his chest, his head buried low. His hair was neatly combed, and he was wearing an expensive white velvet formal suit, looking like a little gentleman. He lifted his head from between his legs, revealing that clean and exquisite doll-like face. But as soon as he saw the man’s dark expression, he shrunk back in fear.
Yu Xiuqing grew impatient and reached out a hand toward him. The thumb with the signet ring trembled slightly as he commanded, “Give me your hand. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Shen Yuan hesitated for two seconds. Not daring to defy his words, he could only obediently place his hand in the man’s palm.
The man’s palm was broad and warm, with thin calluses on the fingers. Shen Yuan involuntarily felt the strength in his hand; it seemed to be a warning not to move…
Yu Xiuqing tightened his grip on the ice-cold, trembling hand. Then he pulled forcefully, dragging him out of the car.
Su Huaiyao was extremely unhappy seeing his man holding someone else, yet he was helpless!
The hand holding him was suddenly withdrawn. Shen Yuan nearly fell as he stepped out of the car; fortunately, he was supported by the bodyguard. He lifted his head, still shaken, only to see Su Huaiyao holding Yu Xiuqing’s arm. The two of them walked inside chatting and laughing, while he looked like a third wheel.
In an instant, he felt as if a knife were being twisted in his heart; he was incredibly embarrassed. Shen Yuan could only follow quietly behind them, nervously tugging at the corner of his clothes as they entered the old residence.
Although Old Master Yu’s birthday banquet didn’t invite famous nobles, the family’s relatives and friends were all present. Everyone wanted to please the Old Master at the longevity banquet.
Shen Yuan hunched his shoulders, secretly using his peripheral vision to look at the familiar environment and those people he barely remembered. His desire to escape grew even stronger.
Everyone here looked at him through tinted glasses. Some even showed the kind of expressions that repulsed him! It was a look that wanted to “eat” him!
He didn’t like it here. Images of Old Master Yu scolding him kept flashing uncontrollably in his mind. That expression, so severe it could tear him into pieces, was something he didn’t want to experience a second time in his life!
Shen Yuan felt that the people in this mansion were not normal. Even if they were dressed glamorously on the surface, their eyes always undisguisedly revealed a sense of malice and eeriness. He was like a lop-eared rabbit that had accidentally entered a wolf’s den. The milky scent he emitted made all the wild wolves salivate.
He wanted to escape but was afraid his legs would be broken. Shen Yuan could only steel himself and stop looking at them.
Passing guests began to flatter Yu Xiuqing, constantly praising the two as a perfect match. Su Huaiyao was grinning from ear to ear; such fawning words were exactly what he liked. He also enjoyed being courted by others.
Yu Xiuqing, however, felt it was hypocritical. He didn’t even bother to respond to these people, instead walking straight ahead.
After all, when his father had his accident years ago, everyone had avoided them like the plague. They were afraid of being even slightly associated with his family and being targeted by those criminal gangs for revenge.
As they walked into the main hall of the old residence, the crowd grew even thicker. All sorts of noisy sounds were jumbled together.
Shen Yuan’s eyes showed deep anxiety and unease. His heart was racing like a panicked deer. Panic and fear intertwined in his heart, and cold sweat constantly seeped from his forehead.
Gu Lanxiao had previously given him a psychological test and found that he had severe agoraphobia. Standing in a crowd made him feel cold all over, unable to move his hands or feet. It felt as if he were being watched by countless eyes, a sensation that was hair-raising.
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