Chapter 123: The End
“Pei Zhouye, we don’t care how wealthy or powerful you are. We only want Wen Yan to be safe and happy. You’re the only child in your family; how do you plan to make your people accept him?”
The Pei family was the elite among elites, and Wen Yan couldn’t provide the family with an heir. Could Pei Zhouye truly protect Wen Yan for the decades to come?
“There is a child in a branch of the family whose parents have run into trouble; he can be adopted under my name,” Pei Zhouye said calmly. “My parents have both met Wen Yan, and they’ve agreed to our relationship. In the future, unless it’s absolutely necessary, I won’t make Wen Yan meet with them.”
He paused for a moment, his gaze steady and open.
“I can guarantee that I will always respect his wishes, protect his feelings, and support his choices. Even if something happens to me, I’ve made arrangements so that someone will look after him and ensure he lives a stable life forever.”
He spoke these words slowly.
Every word carried immense weight, clearly born of deep reflection. He had made these thorough preparations a long time ago.
Wen Yan’s parents fell into silence.
They scrutinized the young man before them—a man who had set aside all his pride—trying to discern the truth from his steadfast eyes.
Father Wen let out a heavy sigh. “Pretty words are easy to say.”
Mother Wen turned her head away and said nothing more, but the tension in her shoulders finally began to ease.
The door opened softly, and Pei Zhouye stepped out, turning back to close it soundlessly behind him.
Wen Yan, who had been waiting outside, immediately rushed forward, his eyes full of questions.
Pei Zhouye met his anxious gaze and gave a small, reassuring shake of his head, the corners of his lips curving upward.
Wen Yan let out a long breath of relief.
The team was set to leave Country C, and Wen Yan was going back with them.
Lately, his parents had been busy processing expedited visas. Judging by the rush, they seemed to be planning a long stay, as if they wanted to get a head start on adjusting to life in Country D.
None of this was intentionally hidden from Pei Zhouye, so he was naturally aware. Whenever the topic was skipped over in conversation, he didn’t press for more details.
There were only three days left before the flight.
The frequency with which Pei Zhouye pinned Wen Yan down for kisses increased. Wen Yan’s lips were rubbed so raw they were starting to hurt. Finally reaching his limit, he pushed the man away.
“What exactly do you want? I have to go out in a bit.”
“Are you coming back?” There was no smile in the man’s alluring eyes. His dark gaze made Wen Yan’s heart skip a beat.
Wen Yan stiffly looked away, answering dryly, “Country D is quite nice.”
Pei Zhouye didn’t respond.
“Pei Zhouye, can’t we just live in the moment? What are you even thinking about?” Wen Yan muttered under his breath. He felt a bit guilty and didn’t dare say it too loudly.
He felt exactly like a “scumbag” who was about to walk away after playing with someone’s feelings.
“I’m thinking about how to arrange the news of my faked death so I can escape.”
Wen Yan was pinned to the spot by those words. While he was still dazed, an embrace so tight it nearly stole his breath locked around him.
His mind went blank. He could only passively try to analyze how much of that sentence was a joke and how much was serious.
Pei Zhouye’s identity and actions didn’t just affect him; they concerned the entire Pei Corp. For an heir to immigrate so abruptly—leaving aside the fact that the success rate was less than ten percent—the sheer influence of even a hint of such a move could not be ignored. The risk was too great. Faking his death was actually the most feasible method, though to ensure it looked real, he would have to truly put himself in danger.
Wen Yan lowered his eyelashes, his face devoid of expression. He didn’t push away the suffocating hug, but he didn’t return it either. After a few seconds of silence, he asked in a floating voice, “And then what? Are you going to use everything you gave up for me as a way to kidnap me with guilt for the rest of my life?”
If he gave up everything, would Pei Zhouye regret it later? Would he use it as leverage to bind their lives together forever?
Pei Zhouye didn’t answer immediately. He lowered his head and buried his face deep in the crook of Wen Yan’s neck—a posture that was both avoidant and intensely dependent. After a long while, Wen Yan felt the embrace loosen slightly. A low, clear voice sounded in his ear:
“I won’t.”
“Wen Yan, I will never do that.”
He hadn’t in the past, and he wouldn’t in the future.
The night before Wen Yan was due to leave happened to be Shen Yao’s birthday banquet. Shen Yao had even moved the start time up by two hours just for this, worried that Wen Yan wouldn’t get enough rest and it would affect his travel the next day.
The pool water was crystal clear, illuminated by a ring of lights that reached the bottom.
While the party inside was still roaring with life, the birthday boy was outside enjoying the cool breeze.
Pei Zhouye and Wang Shu were sitting on chairs some distance away, while Shen Yao and Wen Yan walked slowly together.
Several years had passed, and the friends around Shen Yao were all in their mid-twenties now. They were no longer as reckless and rowdy as they had been in their youth, and no one cracked jokes just because Shen Yao stepped away for a moment.
“Wen Yan, is it fun over in Country D?” Shen Yao asked, sounding a bit awkward.
For one, he knew that if Wen Yan left, Pei Zhouye would surely follow, and he would lose two friends at once. Secondly, it was true that he and Wen Yan rarely had the chance to chat alone like this.
He had followed behind Pei Zhouye for half his life; they were truly closer than biological brothers. But he couldn’t just abandon everything he had in the country to go to Country D, so he could only ask like this.
Wen Yan stopped in his tracks. He glanced at Pei Zhouye and Wang Shu, who were staring their way from not far off, and then looked at Shen Yao’s nervous, conflicted face.
“The domestic side is more fun.”
Shen Yao’s eyes went wide, his mouth hanging open in an exaggerated “O.” Just as an exclamation was about to burst out, he met Wen Yan’s calm gaze and immediately clamped his mouth shut, forcing the sound back down.
Wen Yan looked at him and said very softly, “Don’t tell him.”
In the past, Shen Yao could never keep a secret. The moment he received information on one end, he’d immediately tell Pei Zhouye on the other.
This time, however, Shen Yao simply kept his mouth pressed tight and gave Wen Yan a heavy nod.
On the other side, Wang Shu watched Shen Yao and Wen Yan with a slight frown.
“You’re unhappy?” Pei Zhouye gripped a glass of sparkling water and glanced at Wang Shu.
They were seeing Wen Yan off tomorrow morning, so none of the four had touched any alcohol today.
“I don’t remember them being that close. What could they possibly have to talk about? For Shen Yao to actually not side with you for Wen Yan’s sake…” Wang Shu’s frown deepened. To get Shen Yao to maintain a neutral stance instead of favoring Pei Zhouye was a rare feat indeed.
Pei Zhouye took a sip of his sparkling water, his gaze falling back to the tiny bubbles rising in the glass. His voice was flat. “Wang Shu, are you perhaps getting a little too ahead of yourself?”
He was too impatient, so much so that he could no longer see the simplest people and things right in front of him.
Two years later, at the World Technology Summit, Pei Zhouye and Wen Yan stood together on the awards stage to accept the honors won by the “Morning Star” series.
Below the stage was the applause of the world, along with the tear-filled eyes of Wen Yan’s parents, Shen Yao, Wang Shu, and Cheng Shangshi.
On the stage were the two of them, who had walked through the storms to finally welcome the clear sky.
The scars of the past could never be completely erased, but love and time had made the final choice.
Everyone had walked through heart-wrenching pain. From now on, it would be a warm and long life.
-END-
Translator’s Note:
Thank you for sticking with this story of forced love that turned into a partnership of equals. Pei Zhouye might have started as a “madman,” but he ended up being a man who would fake his own death just to ensure Wen Yan didn’t feel “kidnapped” by sacrifice.
I hope you enjoyed the translation. Until next time!
— Your favorite Bee
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