Chapter 87

After saying that, Lin Langyi used one hand to carefully light the candle with a lighter and brought it to the short, thin candle.

The tiny flame before midnight resembled a dancing red bean in the long, dark corridor.

The light subtly illuminated a patch of her face. Before she could even lift her eyes, the person in front of her strode forward, took the plate from her hand, and wrapped their arms around her back, pulling her forward. The other hand went through her long hair, around her neck, and supported her from behind.

Lin Langyi was caught off guard and was given a hug. She subconsciously raised her face, and suddenly a shadow loomed over her.

Yuan Chuyu bent down, lowered his eyes, turned his face, and kissed her.

The cake wobbled slightly, and the tiny spark of fire flickered in the darkness.

He gripped the back of her neck with slightly more force, pulling her into his arms and slowly taking her breath away.

After about ten seconds, she suddenly turned her head away. He opened his closed eyes hazily, and a low groan unconsciously rolled out of his throat, as if he were still in a daze.

"Get inside!" she snapped, kicking him in the shin.

He held the small dish, and the person in his arms disappeared into the room like a wisp of smoke. Yuan Chuyu straightened up again and followed him into the room.

As soon as the door closed, Lin Langyi, like a PE teacher snapping a gun and yelling "On your marks!", urged, "Hurry, hurry, it's almost midnight, make a wish now."

Yuan Chuyu put the cake down, closed his eyes reverently to make a wish, and Lin Langyi dared not speak loudly, humming a birthday song softly.

The celebration was simple, the cake was half-melted with cream, and the environment was quiet and deserted. When Yuan Chuyu opened his eyes after making his wish, the faint candlelight reflected in his eyes, as if it had sprinkled a handful of dazzling starlight into his eyes, making him look extremely tender and gentle at that moment.

He cupped the candle flame in his palm, brought it close, and gently blew it out. Not a single wisp of smoke drifted toward Lin Langyi.

Finally, after celebrating his birthday before midnight, Lin Langyi relaxed and sat down on his bed like a boneless person, watching him take the candles down and put them aside.

"Why did you hide a cake on the windowsill?" Yuan Chuyu sat down on the edge of the bed with her, turning his head to look at her.

Actually, she gave Cheng Yanjin and herself a piece of cake each. Only after eating them did she remember that there was a midnight appointment. Moreover, the cake incident was inspired by a sentence from Cheng Yanjin.

When Cheng Yanjin asked her if she wanted more, she was happy to take some home. She was overjoyed and thought it was a perfect opportunity to take something away, so she immediately took a small piece.

As for the candle, it was one of the various small desserts on the tea break table. In order to get one of these thin, short candles, she made a concerted effort to finish the dessert that looked good but didn't taste good, and even asked the waiter for a lighter.

Back in her room, while Cheng Yanjin was taking a shower, she put these things on the third floor.

She could have celebrated the birthday earlier and with more time, but Cheng Yanjin suddenly brought out dry ice that night, which broadened her horizons. She also took a nap afterwards, which is why she was in such a rush.

Fortunately, despite rushing, we still made it.

Lin Langyi omitted Cheng Yanjin's role in the story, and mainly vividly described how she swallowed that awful cherry-flavored cake in order to get a candle.

Yuan Chuyu started being clingy again. His handsome face didn't show any clingy expression, but when listening to her talk, he insisted on pulling her hand to his lap, rubbing her fingers, wrapping her hair, or measuring the thickness of her bones by circling her wrist. Finally, he asked her if she was tired from sitting like this and if she wanted to rest her head on his lap.

Having already experienced both halves of the competition, Lin Langyi resolutely refused.

Just kidding. There are only two games in a football match. What's halftime for that? The period of enlightenment is always the golden time for Jiehuang. She is now so pure and detached that she could become a nun.

Yuan Chuyu did not force it; he simply enjoyed this intimate interaction, where hugs or kisses perfectly soothed his desires.

Summer may have passed, but the hymn to summer will never fade if you can bask in the same moonlight with the one you love.

She was wearing soft, comfortable pajamas. After washing up, she sat casually on the edge of his bed with her hair down. What difference was there between her and his wife in such a warm and homey scene?

He repeated those two words to himself over and over again, and the more he repeated them, the more his joy surged and overflowed like the frothy bubbles rising from a beer can.

She was originally his lover.

Even the most mundane conversations were interesting. He sat with her on the edge of the bed, her legs crossed, and the two of them looked like freely growing trees.

Yuan Chuyu replied with a smile, "When I was studying abroad, I knew without a doubt that any dessert with 'cherry' in its name was terrible."

...

Lin Langyi stayed until almost 1 a.m. before leaving. Yuan Chuyu wanted to take her home, but she refused outright.

Don't be ridiculous, buddy. There are people on every floor of this building. Even though it's late at night, who can guarantee there aren't any night owls?

Besides, the idea of ​​her lover escorting her back to her main room sounds incredibly strange.

Lin Langyi went out the door and headed up the stairs. She had only gone halfway down the stairs when a dark figure suddenly appeared in her line of sight on the landing. She was so startled that she almost missed a step.

She stared at it for several seconds before she could tell that Bian Shu was sitting on the top floor of the stairs.

Oh, I forgot, there really is someone here who doesn't need sleep.

Seeing someone suddenly in the middle of the night would startle anyone, but luckily the person wasn't difficult to find... Lin Langyi relaxed her shoulders and began to consider the unexpected situation.

What to do? Should she close her eyes and stretch out her arms, pretending to be sleepwalking? Anyway, they haven't seen each other for years, and he doesn't know what new ailment she's developed.

Beside Bian Shu was his ever-present computer, but the screen was dark, probably because it had gone into sleep mode after being unused for a long time.

He sat on the steps, watching her silently.

She remembered; that was what she had said to him at the beginning.

“I will definitely refuse outright, without giving them the slightest chance.”

"If we're not familiar with each other, there's absolutely no chance."

Lin Langyi caught her breath and calmly continued walking upwards.

Bian Shu fixed his gaze on her face, raising his head little by little as she drew closer, never taking his eyes off her for even a moment.

Then he saw her walk past him without saying a word and continue walking uphill.

She did nothing, nor did she try to hide anything.

There's no need to explain to him; their relationship has long since transcended the need for explanations.

Bian Shu lowered his eyes slightly. In many stories, the poor boy always manages to turn his life around, achieve great success, and then reunite with the rich girl whose family fortunes have been thwarted, living happily ever after.

But the reality is that rich girls will always be rich girls. The accumulation of resources and wealth can back their ability to withstand risks, and they have more opportunities to try and fail than ordinary families.

A rich, beautiful, and successful woman won't fall from grace; she'll only rise to the top with the help of favorable winds.

He believed that he could narrow the gap between them after returning from studying abroad, but the truth is that she could never be a static literary figure, whether in terms of love or career.

She strode forward, walking faster and more resolutely than he had imagined.

The gap between him and her wasn't something that suddenly became apparent; it was always enormous. The only reason they met was because their relatively equal educational environments allowed them to be together.

Lin Langyi's footsteps quickly faded into the distance. After sitting quietly for two seconds, Bian Shu got up, closed the computer, and turned to go downstairs to knock on Yuan Chuyu's door.

"Who is it?" came a calm, deep voice from inside.

“Bian Shu”.

A few seconds later, Yuan Chuyu opened the door; he was already preparing to rest.

Bian Shu didn't intend to stay long. Instead, he lowered his voice and said, "Before she went into the room, someone came up from the second floor. The footsteps stopped at the top of the stairs and didn't move any further."

Yuan Chuyu's dark, unwavering eyes flickered slightly at his face. He released his grip on the doorframe, took a step back, and gestured for him to come in and talk.

After Bian Shu came in, he didn't have much to say. He was naturally a quiet and reserved person, and when he communicated, it was like he was giving an academic report, striving to be concise, objective, and accurate.

Yuan Chuyu, on the other hand, asked a few questions politely, then nodded to indicate that he understood, and said "Thank you" before seeing him out.

"No need," Bian Shu said without turning his head. "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have bothered."

Yuan Chuyu nodded and politely repeated, "Thank you."

After seeing the person off, he closed the door behind him, leaving without even taking his phone, and went straight downstairs. Sure enough, he found Yuan Pingran sitting alone in the tea room connected to the terrace.

Before her was a cup of tea with a subtle fragrance, but it was no longer hot. The tea, devoid of steam, resembled an adult worn down by life in the mundane world, gradually losing its flavor.

Yuan Chuyu closed the transparent glass door and sat down leisurely opposite Yuan Pingran.

Yuan Pingran always wears full makeup, even when she's resting at home; she's always exquisite and charming. She would never let anyone see her being relaxed or imperfect.

But her face was grim. Staring at the cup in front of her, she said coldly, "You're really getting more and more capable."

Yuan Chuyu poured himself a cup of tea, not even looking up, and asked with a "Hmm?"

"You dare to mess with just anyone? Has the head injury caused you to lose your mind?"

"What do you mean?" Yuan Chuyu placed the teapot on the cushion, withdrew his arm, and looked at his adoptive mother, who was filled with anger, with a leisurely air.

"What else do you mean? I bet you're not even trying to hide it! The housekeeper told me you have other brands of contraceptives in your closet, and at the dinner party Xi Ying said you're dating someone. Now there are so many people in this house, and you're in the hallway—"

"Who?" Yuan Chuyu tilted his head slightly.

He was dressed in silk loungewear, sitting in a casual tea room, but that didn't stop him from looking like he was sitting in a spacious, bright conference room, overseeing everything.

Even after processing her anger alone for so long, Yuan Pingran could no longer contain it. Seeing him like this, she repeated furiously, "You still have the nerve to ask who I am? I'm Lin—"

"Who are you talking about?" He interrupted her for the second time, his eyebrows lowered, even the polite and distant smile on his lips faded, and his face was devoid of warmth.

Yuan Ping was momentarily speechless, interrupted several times, and finally managed to discern the cold and stern aura emanating from his calm demeanor amidst his rage.

She had long known that adopted children could not be truly cared for, and she also knew that the superficial family relationship would eventually be exposed. She thought the disagreement would be about shares, power, or that she would find another child to foster. She never expected it would be because of a hidden romance.

"Don't you ever consider the consequences of your actions?!" Yuan Pingran actually swallowed that name. Things are different now. She is no longer the parent who can remove door locks and install surveillance cameras, nor is she the director who can influence Yingyuan's decisions.

"Like a bunch of idiots who've lost their minds, I knew what kind of future a kid with Chu Guanqian's blood could have. The old and the young are all chasing after him like they're under a spell—"

“Don’t I share your surname?” Yuan Chuyu casually swirled his glass. “You always link me to him, and I don’t even know if I should continue speaking.”

Yuan Pingran frowned and looked at him impatiently.

Yuan Chuyu got straight to the point: "Chu Guanqian still has a portion of the shares. If you don't come over, he doesn't plan to give them to me now. I see you often worry about this matter."

Yuan Pingran's nostrils flared slightly as she breathed. Hearing Yuan Chuyu abruptly change the subject, she barely managed to suppress her anger and wait for him to continue: "What does this have to do with what I'm talking about now? Are you trying to shut me up with shares? You can't get what Chu Guanqian has either."

The window behind Yuan Chuyu was open, and there was no obstruction to the view, making it a good vantage point for sightseeing.

He spoke casually, in a tone as if he were casually enjoying tea and the moon: "He has a female companion, someone he started dating a year ago. She lives in a house in Suixi Fu, and she's quite beautiful..."

He lifted his eyelids, his fingers still resting on the outside of the cup, and smiled enigmatically: "You look somewhat like me."

Yuan Pingran's expression suddenly changed.

Both of them knew the meaning behind those words. What did it mean to look like her? It probably meant she looked like Yuan Chuyu's biological mother.

“A year ago, that girl wasn’t single.” Yuan Chuyu withdrew his hand; the outside of the teacup was a little hot. He rubbed his fingers and stated in a straightforward tone, “At that time, she had a boyfriend with whom she had broken up and gotten back together many times. His background wasn’t exactly respectable; because he had just come from a juvenile detention center, he had nothing to lose. He had stabbed all of the girl’s suitors. When Chu Guanqian lured her away and moved to City A, he didn’t run into anyone, so her boyfriend never knew. As far as I know, he’s been searching for her on and off for the past year.”

Yuan Pingran didn't make a sound. She picked up the cup, her hand trembling slightly, and poured half a cup of tea into her mouth rather inelegantly. The cold tea tasted bitter and left an unpleasant feeling as it slid down her esophagus.

The bitter tea, along with the earth-shattering news, was haphazardly swallowed into her stomach, yet she didn't lose face and shout angrily.

She said coldly, "You're only telling me this now, a message from a year ago?"

Yuan Chuyu casually draped his arm over the table and stretched out his long legs: "It's nothing serious, why bother you with this?"

Yuan Pingran, of course, understood the ins and outs of the conversation. She sneered, "So why are you bringing it out again now? Because I caught you in the act?"

Yuan Chuyu tapped his index finger lightly on the table, his eyes lowered: "It's because I'm afraid that if we delay any longer, you might end up adopting another son or daughter, and you'll be doing all the work for others... If I'm disobedient, you'll have to raise another one, and if that one is also disobedient, it would be quite frustrating."

Yuan Pingran was somewhat taken aback. She turned her face away and took several deep breaths, her chest heaving, but she couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

“I think that you didn’t adopt me sincerely more than 20 years ago, but you had no choice at the time. But now, you have a choice, as long as you are willing to cooperate with me.” Yuan Chuyu paused and added, “If you change your perspective and want to solve the problem at its root.”

"What do you mean?"

Yuan Chuyu smiled slightly: "Not long ago, that boyfriend came to City A. He probably found out about Chu Guanqian's existence, so he's been wandering around with a belly full of anger."

He looked at her casually, each word clear and crisp: "The shares can be obtained reasonably and legally."

Yuan Pingran stared at him, her eyes curving upwards with an unusually cold expression, but upon hearing the news, her eyelids twitched uncontrollably several times.

She knew perfectly well how she had suddenly ended up in City A.

Chu Guanqian was not a good match, a conclusion that has been repeatedly verified throughout their long marriage.

Despite knowing this, the mere thought of actually standing opposite Chu Guanqian still caused her an unbearable, dull ache in her heart.

Losing a favorite old garment that you can no longer wear evokes feelings of sadness and reluctance, let alone losing a piece of clothing that once occupied all of her youth.

Yuan Pingran felt terrible. It was as if two little people were having a tug-of-war in her mind. Because she didn't know which side she was more inclined to take, she could only vent her anger on Yuan Chuyu, who had dumped the problem on her.

Those sarcastic and cursing words didn't go through her mind; for a moment, she herself didn't know who she was cursing or what she was saying.

Yuan Chuyu spoke slowly after she finished venting: "I chose to tell you the whole story instead of telling Chu Guanqian to be more careful because I wanted to tell you that a person's obsession is like a shadow that is hard to escape for a lifetime. You may have given up in your twenties, but in your thirties, forties, and fifties, as long as there is even the slightest possibility, or if you are reminded of the past by someone or something completely unrelated, the desire to make amends will only come back stronger with the passage of time."

“You can’t control who he goes to. If this one is gone, there will be another, and the one after that.” He dipped his finger in the tea powder and wrote a string of numbers on the table, saying slowly, “But now, if you want to lock up the shares he holds, I can help you.”

He shrugged and said casually, "In exchange..."

Yuan Pingran's gaze involuntarily followed the string of numbers on the wet table. The fact that the matter had been brought to this point suddenly filled her with a sense of fear and exhaustion, as if there was no way to retreat.

She wasn't someone who couldn't sit still; on the contrary, the more she faced such sordid matters, the more composed she became.

A proper, pampered young lady, what can't she get? She can shed tears for love in her twenties, but if she's still crying over women in her forties, then that's all she's accomplished in this life.

Yuan Chuyu was even more capable and efficient than she had imagined when she adopted him. His presence ensured that she would never be out of the business empire of Yingyuan, which shared the same surname as Yuan Chuyu, and could shut up those who were waiting to see her downfall. Although she was wary and suspicious of him, she had to admit that it was better to adopt a smart person than a good-for-nothing.

She felt uneasy but didn't show it: "You're so ruthless to your own father, how can you be so heartless to me—"

“My mother never hated you when she was alive,” Yuan Chuyu said calmly. “She only hated Chu Guanqian.”

Yuan Pingran rarely heard Yuan Chuyu mention his birth mother. She knew it was because he had never wanted to reminisce about his mother in front of her. This overly perfect choice of remaining silent pleased her, but it also made her more wary of him because of his clear-headedness.

Adopting him is a double-edged sword.

Yuan Pingran gritted her teeth and said, "Send me the information about your scoundrel boyfriend first."

Yuan Chuyu dried his fingers with a tissue and nodded: "I didn't bring my phone down, I'll give it to you later."

Another long, lonely silence ensued.

Yuan Pingran then took two pieces of paper, tore them into pieces like petals, and threw them on the table, fluttering down like a light snowfall.

In reality, the biggest beneficiary of Yuan Chuyu's proposal was still himself. Because if Chu Guanqian were to encounter an unexpected situation, legally, his wife and only son, Yuan Chuyu, would have to divide the remaining shares equally. Yuan Chuyu already held considerable power, and this further concentrated the shareholding in his hands.

But she could indeed get half the benefits, if she could just get rid of the husband who had disappointed her time and time again.

Yuan Pingran was in a state of utter confusion, and could only manage to squeeze out, "You're much crazier than Chu Guanqian."

“Yes.” Yuan Chuyu had nothing to refute. “But this decision has nothing to do with her. Whether she is there or not, I will still do this.”

Yuan Pingran poured the tea in her cup into the trash can, got up and left, leaving behind the words, "Do as you please."

*

Lin Langyi returned to her room, and everything was exactly the same as when she left.

The curtains were still only slightly ajar, the blankets were still rolled up at one corner, and Cheng Yanjin was still lying comfortably on his back with his hands naturally placed at his sides, breathing long and even.

Her gaze swept over him, then she felt sleepy and silently yawned.

She lay down on the bed, her head hit the pillow, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

A gentle breeze slipped in through the slightly ajar window, softly swaying the curtains.

Under the dim moonlight, Cheng Yanjin's left hand twitched for a moment, then his fingers slowly and quietly curled up, like a hedgehog trying to curl itself up in self-defense.

All was silent; there was not a sound.