Chapter 241
When Shen Shuyu received Chi Yanxun’s address, it was already seven o’clock.
Chi Yanxun had mentioned that this was a newly opened restaurant and it was very hard to get a table. He didn’t want Shen Shuyu to wait too long, so he only told Shen Shuyu to come over after he had secured a number. He even considerately added that there was no need to rush, as they still had to wait a while before their number was called.
He had to admit, if Chi Yanxun was willing to pretend to love someone, his behavior was simply impeccable. Shen Shuyu couldn’t help but think: with Chi Yanxun’s obsession over match rates, if things had followed the novel’s trajectory, would he have truly… fallen in love with Shen Xili?
Shen Xili was an Alpha; there would be no such thing as a match rate over ninety percent between them.
Shen Shuyu sat in the car. Fortunately, Shen Xili now had something he aspired to do, which matched what Shen Shuyu had envisioned for him.
However, shortly after returning, he felt that Shen Xili was in no way inferior to Chi Yanxun. Why should he only be a vice-general? If he returned to the Shen family, the Shen family would pour resources into him, allowing him to pursue his dreams.
It turned out his guess had been exactly right.
Shen Shuyu watched the scenery constantly receding outside the window, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.
This is truly wonderful, he thought.
Once he made things clear with Chi Yanxun, all the issues would be completely resolved, and he would finally be able to do what he wanted to do.
He actually had quite an interest in mechas. He planned to research this field more in the future and strive to create a mecha of his own as soon as possible.
The scenery outside became increasingly remote. Feeling a bit confused, Shen Shuyu asked, “Hello, are you sure this is the right way?”
“Yes, young man. The address you gave is indeed this way. It’ll take about ten more minutes to get there. I’ve taken several trips to that restaurant today already, so I won’t get it wrong.” The driver cheerfully added, “Business at that place is truly booming!”
Yet, for some unknown reason, Shen Shuyu had a vague premonition that something wasn’t right.
The smart terminal lit up. Shen Shuyu took a look; it was a message from Chi Yanxun.
[How much longer? If it’ll be a bit late, I’ll tell the waiter to hold off on serving the dishes.]
Thinking of what the driver had just said, Shen Shuyu replied: [About ten more minutes.]
[Then I’ll have the kitchen prep it and serve it when you arrive.]
Shen Shuyu exited their chat window. For some reason, he still felt unsettled. He checked his messages with Wen Jiafei again. When Chi Yanxun had messaged him earlier, he had casually forwarded a copy to Wen Jiafei.
However, Wen Jiafei hadn’t replied. He was probably currently on the star-liner, where the signal was poor.
Shen Shuyu switched hands holding his smart terminal and started searching for information online.
He searched the name of the restaurant, and it popped up quickly, along with several photos showing its booming business.
He suppressed the anxiety in his heart and put the smart terminal back into his pocket, but his fingers brushed against something else. He lowered his eyes, pursed his lips, and felt a bit more reassured.
Soon, the driver dropped him off at the restaurant’s entrance. The restaurant was brightly lit, and there were quite a few people lining up. The bustling scene finally allowed Shen Shuyu to drop his guard again.
It seemed he really had been overthinking it.
He walked in, gave Chi Yanxun’s name to the waiter, and the waiter led him into a private dining room.
Knocking once, he walked in. Chi Yanxun was already sitting inside. Today, he was dressed very casually, having ditched his usual overcoat. He actually gave off the vibe of a college student, though for some reason, he was wearing a single eyepatch over his left eye.
He had lost a lot of weight, and his jawline was even more pronounced than before.
The very first moment Shen Shuyu saw Chi Yanxun, he felt a faint sense of discomfort in his heart.
However, Chi Yanxun smiled and greeted him, “Come and sit.”
Shen Shuyu nodded. Chi Yanxun then said to the waiter, “Everyone’s here, you can serve the dishes now.”
After the waiter left, Shen Shuyu’s gaze landed on his eye, and he asked, “What happened to your eye?”
Chi Yanxun looked up, his fingers lightly brushing over the eyepatch. He said, “I accidentally bumped it a couple of days ago and went to get medicine applied. Sorry for letting you see me in such a poor state.”
He bumped his eye?
Shen Shuyu blinked and asked, “It’s nothing serious, right?”
Chi Yanxun gave an “Mn.” “No.”
Shen Shuyu placed the gift bag he had been carrying onto the table and pushed it toward Chi Yanxun. “This gift is too valuable, I can’t accept it.”
Chi Yanxun let out a light chuckle. “Consider this compensation for the brooch I owe you. Just accept it.”
He was about to push it back to Shen Shuyu, but Shen Shuyu stopped him.
He said, “There’s really no need. That brooch wasn’t worth much anyway.”
Chi Yanxun thought for a moment. He set the gift bag aside. “Let’s discuss this after we eat.”
The dishes had been ordered in advance, so it didn’t take long for the waiter to serve them.
Chi Yanxun said, “I ordered the signature dishes. Since it’s just the two of us, I didn’t order too much. If there’s anything else you want, feel free to order more.”
Shen Shuyu looked at the table full of food. “This is already enough.”
The two of them didn’t have much to say to each other, so they ate in silence.
He had to admit, the taste at this restaurant was truly quite good. No wonder people flocked here despite its remote location. When he had time later, he would bring Shen Yisi and Yue Cheng to try it. And of course, Wen Jiafei.
Shen Shuyu ate focusedly, while Chi Yanxun, sitting across from him, ate very little. When he picked up his chopsticks, there was even a sense of unfamiliarity in his movements. However, having practiced quite a bit these past few days, as long as one didn’t look closely, it was hard to notice.
After they finished their meal, Shen Shuyu glanced at his smart terminal. Wen Jiafei still hadn’t replied to his messages.
Shen Shuyu sent a message asking if he had arrived in Amor, but the message remained unanswered, like a stone sinking into the sea.
It was very strange. He had taken star-liners before, and while the signal was poor most of the time, it was impossible not to receive messages continuously.
Moreover, checking the time, it was already past eight. Wen Jiafei had said he would arrive around seven or eight; he should be here by now.
“What are you looking at? Why the frown?” Chi Yanxun asked warmly. “Is something wrong?”
Shen Shuyu put away his smart terminal. “No. Have you finished eating?”
Chi Yanxun gave a slight nod. “Mn.”
Now that they were full, it was time to discuss serious matters.
Shen Shuyu said, “I have someone I like.”
He continued bluntly, “It’s impossible between us. And I know you don’t actually have any feelings for me.”
Chi Yanxun didn’t seem surprised at all to hear Shen Shuyu say this. He clicked his tongue against the inside of his cheek and asked, “I’d like to ask, is the Luck System still there?”
Shen Shuyu’s gaze fell on Chi Yanxun, his lips pressed tightly together, unable to utter a word.
Chi Yanxun let out a light laugh. “Are you surprised that I know?”
Shen Shuyu gave a slight nod. Actually, what he was surprised about was why Chi Yanxun would suddenly bring this up.
Chi Yanxun said, “Before it found you, it found me first.”
Shen Shuyu remained silent, and Chi Yanxun didn’t seem to need him to speak.
He gazed at Shen Shuyu, a constant smile on his face, and said, “It told me it wanted me to be the center of this world.”
Shen Shuyu stared at his lips, feeling his eyelids grow heavy and his thoughts beginning to blur.
Yet the person sitting across from him didn’t look the least bit surprised.
It was drugs again.
Shen Shuyu thought to himself. He tried hard to keep his eyes open, but it was futile. His head dropped lower and lower until he finally collapsed onto the table.
Chi Yanxun maintained his smile, though the angle of his smile was incredibly stiff. He repeated, “I am going to be the center of the world.”
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