Chapter 73: President Shen, I’m So Scared…
After asking, he remembered something else and exclaimed in surprise:
“Wait, why are you even here? Did you come to watch the race?”
“No. Because of him.”
Qin Lou gestured with his chin toward the Hei Bao coach on the ground.
“You know him?”
Jiang Chuzhou assumed Qin Lou was a fan of the Hei Bao team. He hurried to tell him the truth:
“Do you know? This fat pig actually dared to cheat in the race! He must have illegally modified the car to beat everyone else. So shameless! I’m going to ruin his reputation!”
He shook his fist in righteous indignation.
He modified the car illegally…
The phrase echoed in Qin Lou’s mind. Suddenly, he remembered fourteen years ago; his younger brother had said the exact same thing.
His eyes grew hot. He looked at Jiang Chuzhou and asked, his voice trembling: “So that… is why you were kidnapped?”
Jiang Chuzhou thought his expression was odd but couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He simply nodded:
“Yeah, damn it. He wanted to kill me to silence me. Luckily, I have good fortune and had you as my bodyguard!”
He reached out and patted the man’s chest with satisfaction.
Qin Lou looked away and said in a low voice:
“Actually, you shouldn’t have provoked him. What if I hadn’t shown up? You’d be dead.”
History had repeated itself.
The culprit was the same man from back then.
The tragedy was that he hadn’t been strong enough back then. He hadn’t been able to save his brother the way he had saved Jiang Chuzhou today.
He couldn’t let it go.
The guilt toward his brother weighed heavily on him…
Jiang Chuzhou let out a “tsk” and rubbed his neck.
“I wasn’t thinking much at the time. Plus, he had the gall to kidnap me, so I called him a coward. Who knew he’d go off like a firecracker?”
The sound of police sirens drifted in from the distance.
“The police are here. Let’s go.”
Qin Lou turned to walk out. His eyes were stinging, but he suppressed the emotion, burying it deep within his heart.
It was always like this.
The dim light in the room cast a long, lonely shadow behind him.
Solitary, isolated, gloomy…
That was what Jiang Chuzhou saw in him.
What was… wrong with Qin Lou?
He was usually just cold, but now he seemed genuinely depressed. Was it because he found out the fat pig cheated and was disappointed in his love for the Hei Bao team?
Jiang Chuzhou slapped his own cheek and then hurried after him, his crossbody bag bouncing as he tried to comfort him:
“Don’t be sad! There’s no point in liking a cowardly team that wins through cheating. There are plenty of better teams out there. Why don’t you join the one I like? The You Ling Ma team! I even came up with the name myself!”
Qin Lou was in a terrible mood. Hearing the constant chattering in his ear, he snapped: “Noisy.”
“I’m trying to comfort you! Don’t be ungrateful! If you hadn’t saved me, I wouldn’t even be talking to you!”
Jiang Chuzhou huffed arrogantly, his mouth never stopping. “Seriously, if the Hei Bao team hadn’t cheated, You Ling Ma would have been the champions. But it’s fine. I’ll go tell the organizers about the coach’s cheating. Once they announce it, the championship will naturally go to You Ling Ma.”
“Is the championship really that important?”
Qin Lou finally engaged with him.
When they were young, his brother used to love watching races, too. He cared deeply about the winner. If his favorite team lost, he would be sad for a long time.
“Of course! It’s our dream!”
Speaking of dreams, Jiang Chuzhou sighed in disappointment. “A pity Jiang Tianyang won’t let me be a racer. He buys out every car I get and bans every racing club from taking me in. What is that old man thinking?!”
Qin Lou glanced at him but didn’t respond, heading toward the police to report the incident.
At the racing venue:
(Announcer: Due to the Hei Bao team illegally modifying their engine, using non-compliant fuel, and even installing unapproved wings to increase speed, their championship title is hereby revoked. They are permanently banned from competing.)
(Announcer: The true champion is—Team You Ling Ma!)
Hearing the announcement, Ling He, who had been depressed all day, was stunned. He was dragged onto the stage by Jiang Chuzhou to receive the trophy.
“No… No way? Boss, I’m not dreaming, am I? We really won?!”
Ling He was ecstatic.
Jiang Chuzhou slapped him to wake him up. “Of course we did! Stop talking and take the trophy!”
“Right!”
Ling He accepted the golden model car trophy he had dreamed of for so long, staring at it for a long time.
Tears welled in his eyes.
Over the years, for the sake of his dream and the glory of the racetrack—and to keep others from looking down on him—he had sacrificed so much.
This was his first major international gold award.
“I didn’t lie to you, did I? I told you that you could do it!”
Jiang Chuzhou slung an arm around his shoulder. Seeing the team he had nurtured stand at the peak, he was deeply moved.
“Boss, this trophy should be yours. Without you, Ling He wouldn’t be here today! You were supposed to be the captain of You Ling Ma, not me.”
Ling He was moved to tears.
“What are you crying for? You’re the one who worked hard on the track, not me. Anyway, as long as Jiang Tianyang is still alive, I won’t be able to race. So, take my dreams and expectations with you and stay at the top!”
Jiang Chuzhou’s eyes were full of trust and resolve.
“Yes! I will!”
Ling He nodded solemnly, his eyes bright as he looked at the hard-won honor. His smile was full of youthful spirit.
The overcast evening darkened quickly.
The heavy rain arrived without warning.
Rainwater pooled on the eaves.
It pattered rhythmically against the ground.
Inside, a warm yellow light glowed. Shen Xingyu leaned back on the sofa, his legs crossed. One hand lazily supported his face. Having just showered, his pajamas were loose and slightly unbuttoned.
A drop of water rolled down from his brow, dripping onto his collarbone before sliding beneath his clothes.
The Old Master had gone to bed early. Liang Sheng was hiding in the guest room, having locked the door to keep him out.
He wasn’t in the habit of sleeping early. With the rain pouring outside and his heart feeling restless, he had come downstairs to the living room to read for a bit.
It was only eight o’clock, but the servants had already retired.
The vast living room was incredibly quiet.
But that was fine.
It was rare to have a moment alone.
Shen Xingyu turned a page, absorbed in the book.
The floor lamp cast a soft glow on his face. His features were cold, but in this light, they held a trace of gentleness. Yet, because he rarely smiled, he usually gave off an aura of indifference.
Perhaps he had lived in the darkness for too long; he simply lacked any extra emotions.
The milk on the coffee table had been sitting for a long time. He finally put down his book and took a sip.
His brow furrowed slightly.
The milk was cold.
When Liang Sheng cared about him, he never had to eat or drink anything cold. The food was always hot, the water warm, and even his bathwater was prepared in advance.
Now, even though Liang Sheng was still by his side, it seemed as if everything had changed, yet nothing had…
Frustrated, Shen Xingyu stood up with the milk, intending to pour it out in the kitchen, when the doorbell rang.
Hmm? Who is it?
A friend of Grandfather’s?
No, anyone visiting the Shen residence would send an invitation during the day. They wouldn’t just show up.
He walked to the door, confused. The bell rang twice more; the person outside seemed impatient.
As the door opened, the wind blew a spray of rain into the hall.
Upon seeing the person standing outside, Shen Xingyu’s calm expression instantly turned dark. His voice grew cold:
“What are you doing here?”
Su Nian was huddled in a thin coat, shivering. He was soaked to the bone, water dripping from his hair.
He let out several sneezes in a row. His eyes were red, and his body shook as he began to sob:
“I… I have nowhere else to go… There are reporters outside my apartment… sob… I’m being followed by paparazzi every day. They… they even broke in…”
Shen Xingyu frowned. As he watched him cry so piteously, he felt no pity. Su Rao was in prison, and now that the truth had been exposed, it was natural that Su Nian would be affected.
Seeing the man remain unmoved, Su Nian did what he always did—he threw himself weakly into the man’s arms.
“President Shen… save me! I’m so scared… they keep taking pictures of me. I… I can’t take it anymore…”
Shen Xingyu turned his head away, his hands hanging at his sides. He remained cold, not returning the embrace.
The cold rainwater on Su Nian’s body soaked into his clean pajamas. It was uncomfortable. He pushed the man away.
“Ah!”
Pushed back, Su Nian stumbled and fell into a puddle. His palm was cut by a stone, and blood began to seep out.
The rainwater around him turned red, swirling away.
Seeing the striking crimson and Su Nian’s disheveled, pitiful state, Shen Xingyu’s heart suddenly softened.
Of course, this softening was only because Su Nian’s body still carried the blood that Liang Sheng needed.
He leaned down, picked the man up in a princess carry, and walked into the house.
Su Nian leaned into his chest, feeling aggrieved.
He knew it! Shen Xingyu wouldn’t be that heartless!
The man still loved him!
Shen Xingyu was just about to set him down when Liang Sheng, who had come downstairs for a glass of water, happened to witness the scene.
Their eyes met, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Shen Xingyu immediately dropped Su Nian onto the floor.
“Ouch…”
Su Nian let out a groan, curling up at the man’s feet. His beautiful eyes cast a piteous yet provocative look toward Liang Sheng.
Liang Sheng’s heart trembled violently before settling into a dull calm. After all, he had seen through them long ago.
He finished his water calmly and turned to head back upstairs.
“Sheng-sheng…”
Shen Xingyu knew he must have misunderstood. He hurried to chase after him, but Su Nian grabbed his leg.
“Wuwuwu… President Shen… I’m so tired, so hungry… You… you can’t just ignore me. Don’t leave Nian-nian!”
“Get lost!”
Shen Xingyu kicked him away without mercy, practically running upstairs to catch Liang Sheng.
Liang Sheng was walking quickly, and Shen Xingyu was right on his heels. He grabbed Liang Sheng’s slender wrist, his face full of anxiety. “Sheng-sheng, listen to me. Just now…”
“Don’t touch me! I don’t want to hear it!”
Liang Sheng cut him off, pulling his hand back. His eyes were red, and his gaze was filled with a firm resolve to leave him behind.
“You two can do whatever you want. I don’t care, and I won’t tell Grandfather. You can rest easy!”
With that, he slammed the door shut. He sniffled and then threw himself into the bed, sobbing into the covers.
“Don’t cry. What does it have to do with me? I don’t love him anymore… he can be with whoever he wants…”
Outside the door, Shen Xingyu pounded on the wood frantically.
“Sheng-sheng, open the door! Listen to me! I only brought him in because he’s still useful! I’m only letting him stay for one night. I’ll send him away tomorrow!”
No matter how much he shouted, Liang Sheng ignored him.
He rubbed his forehead in frustration. He couldn’t tell him that he was keeping him for his blood; that would only make Liang Sheng more upset.
To have the blood of someone you loathed pumped into your own body… anyone would find it disgusting. But there was no other choice.
Su Nian’s blood type was rare.
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