Chapter 31: Because Youâre Worthy of My Kindness
The host read the name on the list again, but still, no one appeared. The audience immediately broke into a clamor.
Shen Chuyan unhurriedly took a sip of tea, watching the stage with an expression as if he were viewing a play.
He had locked the swimming hall doors tight last night. Jian An should be sleeping right now, dreaming his sweet dreams!
At worst, he couldn’t have drowned, could he?
Thinking of this possibility, a flash of joy and excitement crossed his eyes. He rejoiced in his heart: this was the consequence of fighting for a man against him, Shen Chuyan!
Hearing Jian Anâs name on the stage, Ji Songtingâs eyes darkened and his brows knit. An inexplicably complex emotion lingered in his heart.
The man had actually signed up behind his back!
Since he wanted to participate, why hadn’t he shown up? What on earth was Jian An playing at?
The host announced again: “If the contestant still does not appear on stage, we will assume an automatic withdrawal.”
“Wait a bit longer!”
A baritone voice suddenly rang out from the seats, drawing everyone’s attention.
Shen Yunheng stood up abruptly. “I am the CEO of the Shen Group. If waiting causes any loss to the competition, I am willing to bear the responsibility!”
Hearing this, Shen Chuyan almost choked on the water he was drinking. He coughed softly, then glared at the brother who was standing up for someone else with an angry gaze.
On what basis?!
Clearly, he was the young master of the Shen family, Shen Yunheng’s biological brother. Why was he helping an unrelated person, even using the company’s power?!
He was simply a madman, blinded by impulse!
“This…”
the Shen Group’s influence in the business circle was not to be underestimated. Out of respect for Shen Yunhengâs position as CEO, the host didn’t directly refuse. Instead, he cast a conflicted look toward the organizers in the VIP front row.
Before the organizers could speak, Ji Songtingâwho had been silentâunexpectedly spoke up. His indifferent voice echoed slowly through the hall:
“Wait another ten minutes.”
The noisy discussions instantly ceased. Even Shen Chuyan stood up in disbelief.
It was one thing for his brother to help Jian An, but why did Ji Songtingâwho hated Jian An so muchâalso grant him an extension?
The face of the biggest investor behind the art competition had to be respected. The organizers could only nod in agreement.
However, the vast majority of the audience still harbored doubts and controversy. After all, such a large-scale event had never paused midway to wait for a contestant.
“Who exactly is this contestant named Jian An? To actually have Ji-zong and Shen-zong step in to request a delay, and the Venice organizers actually stopped for him!”
“Yeah, I’ve never even heard of this person! Is he some kind of genius appearing out of nowhere?”
“Genius or artist, nothing can compare to Professor Shenâs painting. Iâm voting for Professor Shen!”
Shen Yunheng had no heart to mind those gossiping suspicions. His gaze swept over the contestants’ area where there was no sign of Jian An. He then took out his phone and made a call.
But the other end seemed to be turned off; no one answered.
He pressed his hand to his forehead anxiously, looking worried. He stood up and left the competition hall.
Chen Ma set down the mop and bucket, taking a ring of keys from her waist to open the swimming hall doors.
When she pushed the door, a heavy “thud” rang out, as if the glass door had hit something.
Confused, she took the mop and walked a few steps inside. Glancing to the side, she saw the youth curled into a ball and was startled.
Jian An was huddled there, shivering violently, clutching his body tightly. He looked helpless and terrified.
Chen Maâs eyes widened. She immediately knelt down and shook his shoulder vigorously. “Hey? Mr. Jian? Why are you sleeping here?! Wake up!”
“The competition… I have to go to the competition…”
Jian An repeated this sentence in a daze. The cold wind blowing in from the door forced him to shiver violently, which cleared his fever-muddled brain a bit.
He pushed himself up from the floor with both hands, standing unsteadily. His hair was messy and disheveled. He ignored Chen Maâs questions, walking out the door with a determined gaze.
There was only one thought in his heart right now: he must not miss the chance for this competition.
Stumbling all the way to his room, Jian An was tripped by the furniture knocked over on the floor the moment he pushed the door open, falling heavily.
His fingers were cut by glass, and blood flowed. Such pain made his will clearer.
He gritted his teeth and climbed up. Looking at the mess on the floor, a flash of sorrow crossed his eyes, but he had no time to worry about the cause. He stepped over the trash to pick up the oil painting.
Jian Anâs hands trembled as he lifted the black cloth. The destruction he imagined hadn’t occurred; the work was intact.
He gently traced the heartâs blood he had created during those three dark days. He breathed a sigh of relief, his voice carrying a mix of joy and sadness: “Fortunately… fortunately you’re okay.”
He put on a coat. Without time to tidy anything else, he put the oil painting into a kraft paper bag and stumbled out of the villa.
A Mercedes suddenly stopped before him. A familiar voice came from the rolling window:
“Xiao An, quick! Get in! The competition is only waiting ten minutes for you! If you exceed the time, you’ll be considered withdrawn!”
Jian An quickly got into the car. Only after fastening his seatbelt did he realize the time on the navigation was already 3:00 PM!
He had actually slept until now…
“Xiao An, why did you only come out now? Your phone was off when I called. Did something happen?”
With that, Shen Yunheng stepped on the pedal and drove off. The car sped down the road.
The person in the passenger seat was silent for a moment. He covered his mask and coughed lowly, his voice incredibly raspy:
“I’m fine, cough, cough… I overslept.”
Besides, his second-hand phone he bought with his first paycheck should still be soaking in the pool.
Although the other person tried his best to hide it, Shen Yunheng noticed something was wrong immediately based on intuition.
Indeed, that fool didn’t even know how to lie. For such an important competition, how could he possibly oversleep?
He was probably being made difficult for by Ji Songting again, wasn’t he?
“Xiao An, why are your eyes so red?”
Shen Yunheng glanced at him from the rearview mirror. Seeing the manâs listless state, he touched his forehead with half-doubt. As expected, it was burning hot.
“You have a fever?! No, weâre going to the hospital first. There will be other chances for competitions.”
Seeing him prepare to turn back, Jian An immediately grabbed his arm, shaking his head desperately. His reddened eyes were full of pleading and panic as he sobbed:
“Yunheng, don’t stop the car. I want to go to the competition…! Itâs very important to meâmore important than my life. If I miss it this time, Iâll regret it for the rest of my life…”
“What could be more important than health?”
Shen Yunhengâs brows knit with heartache. His tone was full of helplessness and reluctance.
He couldn’t bear to personally destroy the dream Jian An was struggling to maintain, nor could he bear to see the man suffer from illness. No matter what he did, his heart would ache.
The next second, the fever-muddled person tried to open the car door. Shen Yunheng locked the door first, looking at the road while anxiously saying:
“Xiao An! What are you doing?”
Jian An was pulled back into his seat, but his mouth remained stubborn: “If you don’t take me to the competition site, I’ll get out and walk there myself.”
“Weâre on the highway. Itâs full of cars. Itâs dangerous! How could you walk?”
Fearing he would do something extreme again, Shen Yunheng had no choice but to drive back toward the competition site. He sighed heavily, his voice raspy with deep worry and resolve:
“I really can’t do anything with you. If you want to go to the competition, then go. With me here, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Hearing this, Jian Anâs emotions slowly calmed. Yet he still felt guilty, asking in a low voice: “Yunheng, why are you so good to me…?”
At this question full of insecurity, the man turned his face and smiled lightly, looking indulgent:
“Fool, because youâre worthy of my kindness.”
Accidentally meeting the manâs burning gaze, Jian An felt his already hot cheeks seem to get even hotter. He could only lower his head in embarrassment, pursing his lips without answering.
At the competition hall, Shen Yunheng gave his shoulder a comforting pat. His eyes, deep as obsidian, flashed with trust and encouragement. He said gently:
“Good luck! Don’t be nervous. Just let nature take its course. If you can’t hold on, don’t force it. Tell me, and I’ll take you away.”
“Mhm… okay. Thank you.”
Jian An nodded and took off his mask. His cheeks were flushed deep red like sunset clouds due to the fever.
Watching the small figure ahead, Shen Yunhengâs gaze swirled with a trace of loss.
When will this person… be able to stop saying thank you?
The audience suddenly became silent.
Upon seeing Jian An on stage, Ji Songtingâs face showed surprise, followed immediately by a layer of fire in his eyes.
Didn’t that person say he couldn’t swim last night? Didn’t he say he was going to die? Yet here he is standing on stage just fine! Truly, his words are full of lies!
Someone about to die still has the energy to participate in a competition? He still has the mood to wait for another man to give him a ride?!
He felt more and more that Jian An didn’t respect him at all. He was becoming more and more bold!
On the other side, Shen Chuyan was equally in disbelief. However, hidden beneath his gentle face was malice and calculation that was almost ready to overflow.
Jian An stood on stage nervously. Facing so many doubting gazes, he took several deep breaths to barely steady his dizzy mind.
“Judges, audience members, hello… My name is Jian An. The work on the screen is my entry for this art competition…”
He tried to speak in a calm tone, but due to his illness, it was inevitably intermittent, even though he had practiced his lines hundreds of times on the way.
Suddenly, an oil painting appeared on the large screen behind him. The audience below erupted into a burst of gasps.
Everyone’s eyes were filled with disdain, indignation, and mockery, as if they were watching a performance by a clown.
Shen Yunheng, however, had a complex expression. His arms, which had been crossed over his chest, unconsciously dropped.
Translator’s Note:
Oh boy, the “White Lotus” behavior of Shen Chuyan is reaching its peak!
- Thick-skinned (sÇ pĂ lĂ i liÇn): Ji Songting keeps using this to describe Jian An. Itâs a very harsh way to call someone shameless or persistent in a negative way.
- Utopia’s Redemption: We finally see the meaning behind the painting. Itâs tragic that Chuyan stole the description along with the concept.
- The extended 10 minutes: Why did Ji Songting grant them? Even he might not know why his heart softened for a second.
- The “Copycat” Drama: Chapter 31 ends on a massive cliffhanger. Why is the audience reacting with disdain? If youâve read these types of novels before, you can guess that Chuyanâs “plagiarism” plan is in motion.
Jian An is literally at his limitâsick, wet, and now facing a crowd that thinks heâs a thief. Iâm rooting for our “Gentle Shou” to pull through! See you in the next chapters! (಼ďšŕ˛Ľ)
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