Chapter 71: Long Time No See
The sound of footsteps seemed to ring out behind him, getting heavier and more urgent, as if they were coming for him.
Wen Yuhuai didn’t turn around, however, continuing to walk forward unhurriedly. He even moved to the side of the road to make way for the person behind him.
He was a newcomer and hadn’t gone out much lately; he wasn’t vain enough to think someone was coming for him.
But his thoughts were soon overturned. A gust of wind was brought from behind, but it didn’t pass him by. Simultaneously, a powerful large hand suddenly gripped his wrist from behind.
“A-Yu… long time no see…”
Wen Yuhuai seemed dazed for a few seconds. Once he realized who that familiar voice belonged to, one of his eyebrows quirked up slightly, and he turned to look at the newcomer.
“Lin Shiyu.”
Lin Shiyu looked as if he had run all the way there. His breathing was slightly hurried, and his fingers gripping Wen Yuhuai’s wrist tightened more and more, as if the person would run away the moment he let go.
He was completely different from the steady, mountain-like appearance he had just now.
Wen Yuhuai gave a soft tsk. “Any more force and my wrist will break.”
Lin Shiyu released his grip a beat late and took another step closer until the person was completely within his reach. “When did you come here?”
Wen Yuhuai hadn’t expected to run into him here either. He asked instead of answering, “What about you? Weren’t you developing in Haishi? Why did you run here?”
Lin Shiyu’s eyelashes lowered slightly, his dark pupils filled with the boy’s reflection. “I invested in this resort project. I’ve been running back and forth between here and Haishi for the past few months.”
Wen Yuhuai gave him an appreciative look. “I said earlier that this place was nice and I’d invest if I had money. Turns out it fell into your hands.”
Lin Shiyu’s hand landed gently on his shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of temptation. “It’s not too late to invest now.”
Wen Yuhuai shook his head, then remembered something else. “When I first arrived, I saw a Haishi car, a black Phaeton. That couldn’t be yours, could it?”
Lin Shiyu’s body stiffened for a moment. He thought of that familiar back he had seen in the breakfast shop that day, and his gaze deepened. His tone was almost urgent: “Was that you eating breakfast in the shop that day? The one next to the mall—”
The expression on Wen Yuhuai’s face became somewhat strange. “So that car really was yours.”
Lin Shiyu’s long brows furrowed deeply. A feeling of defeat and annoyance appeared on his face, and he even let out a swear word. “F*ck. I thought you looked familiar then, I just didn’t expect it to be you.”
As they spoke, He Yu also walked over. His expression wasn’t great, but he maintained proper politeness. “Brother Wen, who is this?”
Wen Yuhuai reached out and slung an arm around Lin Shiyu’s shoulder, looking like “good brothers.” “My brother, Lin Shiyu.”
He then looked at Lin Shiyu. “This is my landlord’s son, He Yu.”
Lin Shiyu frowned again. “When did you fall to the point of needing to rent a house?”
Moreover, it was in such a remote county where the housing prices were so low they weren’t even as much as their monthly pocket money.
After saying that, he noticed Wen Yuhuai’s clothes. It was a common down jacket that could be bought for a few hundred bucks anywhere. It was just that the boy was good-looking and served as a human clothes hanger, making everything look like luxury brands. That was why Lin Shiyu hadn’t noticed at first.
“You’ve been living like this for the past few months?”
Wen Yuhuai didn’t think there was anything wrong with his current life. At first, there was indeed a bit of a drop-off, since he had lived a life of “spending money like water” (挥金如土) since coming to this world. But he hadn’t never lived a hard life before; his current life was much better than when he was a corporate slave in his previous life.
Seeing his indifferent attitude, the low pressure around Lin Shiyu became even more obvious. He nearly suppressed his anger to ask: “What exactly happened? I called Uncle Wen, and he said you went out for advanced training and might be out of touch for a while. Now it seems that’s not the case? Why the hell did you run here?”
This matter clearly couldn’t be explained in a few sentences. Wen Yuhuai glanced at He Yu, who was quietly pursing his lips, and said an apology. “You go back first. My brother and I haven’t seen each other in a long time; we need to find a place to chat.”
He Yu gave him a quiet look, but in the end, he obediently nodded. However, he ended with a gentle remark: “My mom is stewing chicken soup tonight. Remember to come home early for dinner, Brother Wen.”
After saying that, he turned and left. The expression in Lin Shiyu’s eyes instantly turned cold. This guy who came out of nowhere actually dared to provoke him.
Wen Yuhuai didn’t hear the clash in their words. He gave a casual response, let go of Lin Shiyu’s shoulder, and walked side-by-side with him toward the other end.
Lin Shiyu said goodbye to his companions, and the group responded enthusiastically, “If President Lin has business, please go ahead. We’ll keep an eye on things here.”
The two got into the car—still that Phaeton, and the driver was still that assistant.
Lin Shiyu raised the partition, and the back seat instantly became a sealed space. He looked at Wen Yuhuai with a serious expression. “Why aren’t you in the capital? You didn’t go to Shencheng either. What the hell happened?”
An expression of conflict and distress appeared on Wen Yuhuai’s face. He seemed not to know how to start. After a long while, he spoke slowly: “I fell out with Fu Xingjian and Gu Yanxiu. I couldn’t stay in the capital, and I was afraid they’d find me in Shencheng to get revenge, so I just found a place to hide.”
Impossible. He could fall out with anyone, but not with them.
That was the first thought that popped into Lin Shiyu’s head. He knew exactly what they felt for A-Yu; they would pamper and spoil him, so how could they be willing to fall out?
That left only one possibility.
Lin Shiyu’s eyes darkened. They had already made their feelings clear, or even done something more excessive, forcing A-Yu to hide.
In other words, Wen Yuhuai had fled here alone and even cut contact with his family. Otherwise, he couldn’t be living such a hard life.
In that case, could he secretly take the person back to his place without anyone knowing?
Thinking of this possibility, his breathing became uncontrollably heavy, and the look he gave the person beside him carried a hint of desire.
But soon, he forcibly suppressed this abnormality. He even gave Wen Yuhuai a gentle smile when the boy looked over in confusion.
No, he couldn’t do that.
Gu Yanxiu and Fu Xingjian combined couldn’t keep him in the capital, let alone him. Wen Yuhuai must deeply despise them now. He still had an advantage over them: at least for now, he wasn’t hated.
He had to seize this advantage. He absolutely could not follow in their footsteps.
Wen Yuhuai didn’t know what he was thinking. Meeting an old friend in this unfamiliar place made him quite happy, so he chatted with him intermittently. “The New Year is coming. Are you going back to the capital?”
Lin Shiyu watched him without blinking. “I’m not going back. I’ll stay here to keep you company.”
Wen Yuhuai raised an eyebrow. “Stay here?”
When Lin Shiyu spoke again, his tone carried a hint of persuasion. “It’s so boring here. Come back to Haishi with me. I promise I won’t leak your location; no one will know you’re with me.”
Translator’s Note:
Terms in this chapter:
- Spending money like water (挥金如土): Literally “throwing gold like dirt.” It refers to an extremely lavish lifestyle.
- Corporate slave (社畜): A popular term for overworked employees.
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