Chapter 26: I Do Not Accept Unspoken Rules
In the hospital ward.
Wen Yan was sitting by the bed, holding his newly turned-on phone. His lips were pale as he turned his head to look at Shen Yao.
The obvious sickness and poor complexion didn’t diminish his good looks; instead, this frailty gave him a strange beauty that made people want to break and ruin him.
Shen Yao was startled by his own thoughts at the door. He immediately opened the door wider to let in more light and walked over.
Sitting on the chair opposite Wen Yan, Shen Yao subconsciously looked at a spot, realized something intuitively, and immediately withdrew his gaze.
His second brother ran an entertainment company. Before, there were rumors that Shen Yao was keeping a small celebrity. That celebrity’s fans and reporters, taking advantage of his good temper, took all sorts of candid photos.
Later, he got annoyed and sent a few to jail, forcing the other side to issue a clarification, and no one dared to approach him like that again.
But to this day, he remained sensitive to cameras and surveillance.
The surveillance in this ward was definitely installed by Pei Zhouye, and likely not just in the spot he looked at.
“Hello. Is there something you need?” Wen Yan looked at Shen Yao, whose expression kept changing without speaking, and took the initiative to ask.
Shen Yao came back to his senses and shook his head slightly. “I am Shen Yao. You should have seen me before.”
Wen Yan acquiesced.
Thinking that his every move was being monitored by Pei Zhouye, Shen Yao felt uncomfortable everywhere and didn’t know how to chat.
“How is your relationship with Gu Yulan?”
This attitude of asking directly about personal emotional issues was uncomfortable. Wen Yan frowned. “Did Pei Zhouye ask you to ask me?”
Shen Yao shook his head hurriedly, afraid of making Pei Zhouye’s image in Wen Yan’s heart even worse.
Just to enter the ward to see Wen Yan today, he had been watched by several people and disinfected multiple times before being let in.
“No, I was just curious. Actually, my brother is quite a good person.”
“Although he looks fierce and has a bad temper sometimes, he has many strengths…”
Shen Yao racked his brains to think of Pei Zhouye’s personality strengths, but couldn’t think of a single one.
Wen Yan looked at him as if looking at a psychopath.
“But he has money, is handsome, and is a good person. Wen Yan, I guarantee you absolutely can’t find anyone in City A richer or handsomer than my brother.”
Wen Yan’s anger at being questioned turned into speechlessness thanks to Shen Yao.
“That is your business. I have a boyfriend. If you just came to say this, please leave. I need to rest.”
Shen Yao stiffened.
Wen Yan was as difficult to talk to as Pei Zhouye. And he was dead set on Gu Yulan.
“Don’t do that job anymore,” Shen Yao couldn’t quite describe his mood. Pei Zhouye had fallen for a canary kept by someone else, and the guy had enough professional integrity to look down on him. “Do you know Changxing Entertainment?”
Wen Yan shook his head.
Shen Yao clicked his tongue. “You just need to know it’s one of the biggest entertainment companies in the country. Join the entertainment industry; the money comes fast there. You can get two million in a month or two.”
He complained inwardly: Actually, there is a faster way to get money than this, which is to be with Pei Zhouye.
At that time, let alone two million, adding a few zeros behind it wouldn’t be a problem.
Thinking of the two million his family owed Gu Yulan, Wen Yan hesitated.
“I can’t act, and I can’t sing. I have a job, I don’t have time for this.”
Given Wen Yan’s face and his second brother’s company, even if he couldn’t act, there would be scripts tailored to Wen Yan’s personality sent over to promote him. But Wen Yan said he had a “job.”
Shen Yao thought the “job” Wen Yan referred to was following Gu Yulan, and his frown deepened.
“Then what about modeling? Part-time. Makeup and photos don’t take much time, and it’s simpler than acting or singing.”
Wen Yan’s hesitation turned into vigilance. “I do not accept unspoken rules.”
Shen Yao closed his eyes helplessly, feeling a bit broken.
Who would dare use unspoken rules on you, you big Buddha?
“We are a legitimate company; we don’t do that kind of thing. Let’s add each other on WeChat, and you can think about it.”
Wen Yan finally agreed.
He owed too much money. Their major required graduate studies to reach higher positions. Intern wages were low; it would take him a long time to pay back what he owed Gu Yulan.
Wen Yan added the contact, planning to understand the details from the information Shen Yao sent, and then try applying to other companies.
Going to Pei Zhouye’s friend Shen Yao’s company—wouldn’t that just be jumping from one pit to another, taking advantage of Pei Zhouye’s affection? He wasn’t a fool.
Shen Yao finally left, and the door closed again.
Wen Yan finally opened Gu Yulan’s 99+ chat window.
All the messages were asking where he was, why he didn’t come home, why he didn’t reply.
Seeing the string of questioning messages, Wen Yan felt tired.
Clearly, Gu Yulan could have chased after him like Pei Zhouye last night, but he didn’t.
[I got sick and fainted, Pei Zhouye sent me to the hospital.]
[Phone just turned on.]
He sent a location and waited for a reply.
A call popped up, as Wen Yan expected. He answered it.
“Hello…” His throat wasn’t healed yet, still raspy.
“You were in the hospital all night?” Gu Yulan’s tone suppressed a violent rage. “Was Pei Zhouye there too?”
Wen Yan knew he might have misunderstood something and explained patiently, “Yes. Do you want me to send you the medical record? Where did you think I was? He was there; I already said he was the one who brought me here.”
Knowing he was sick, he didn’t ask if he was better, but whether Pei Zhouye was there.
“You didn’t come home all night, I was worried about you.” Gu Yulan heard Wen Yan’s anger, and his tone softened.
“Gu Yulan.” Wen Yan’s voice was weary. “Forget it. If you only called to say this, then let’s hang up. I don’t want to argue with you. I think we both need to think things over.”
One minute passed without a reply from Gu Yulan.
Wen Yan lost patience, lowered his eyes, said “Goodbye,” and hung up.
On the other side, looking at the hung-up phone, Gu Yulan flew into a rage, grabbing the phone and smashing it viciously onto the floor, then sweeping everything on the table onto the ground.
In moments, the tidy floor became a mess.
Looking at the chaos, Gu Yulan quieted down, stood up, picked up the smashed phone from the debris, and walked out.
The servants looked down at the floor. Gu Yulan glanced at them, said nothing, walked straight to the living room, and used the landline to call his assistant to bring a new phone.
In a private club, wine glasses were stacked high, the walls resplendent with gold and jade, lights flashing in a scene of debauchery.
Scantily clad men and women with good looks danced, and a group of people gathered drinking.
Gu Yulan’s eyes were cold. He smiled, raising his glass to clink with someone. “Didn’t you want to hear about Wen Yan? Let me win this round, alright?”
A burst of jeering followed.
Someone teased, “What? You’re willing now? Before, you wouldn’t open your golden mouth no matter what.”
“No matter how cold a person is… they’re hot on the inside.”
“Is it exciting?”
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