Chapter 32
Chi Shu quickly browsed through his alternate account as if inspecting his own territory, then put his phone away with satisfaction. He glanced casually ahead, but his gaze fell upon a sports car with its engine off not far away.
He found it strange; it wasn't there when Lin Langyi left, and he didn't know when it suddenly appeared.
The passenger-side window was completely rolled down, and an arm was lightly resting on the window frame. The black shirt was pulled up slightly as a result, revealing a section of pale wrist, and the well-defined fingers were still tapping the window frame idly.
The carriage was dark after the engine was turned off, and the wide-open window was like a black hole, with nothing visible except for the arm draped over the outside.
Chi Shu withdrew his gaze from the overly luxurious supercar and was about to turn around when the sports car shone its headlights and drove straight toward them.
Chi Shu stopped in his tracks. For some reason, he subconsciously felt that the car was coming to find him.
The car stopped a few meters away from him, and he finally saw the handsome and aloof face of the man in the seat.
The two met each other's gaze at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
He pulled his arm back from the car window, and with a "click," the door opened. The man got out of the car politely, casually resting his hand on the back of his hand. He then turned around and closed the door behind him, before slowly looking Chi Shu up and down.
It started to rain at night. A few raindrops fell on the asphalt road and then slowly faded away. The person didn't have an umbrella and calmly walked closer step by step before the rain got heavier.
Chi Shu frowned. They really came for him, but he didn't recognize them at all.
His back tightened instinctively, and his shoulders relaxed: "Is there something you need?"
Before hearing the answer, many thoughts flashed through his mind. Perhaps feeling guilty, he first compared the visitor with Cheng Yanjin in Lin Langyi's video and immediately rejected the idea.
Their temperaments and appearances are completely different; there's no way they could be mistaken.
Yuan Chuyu lowered his eyelashes slightly, looking down at people with an oppressive aura. He scrutinized Chi Shu from head to toe with such an impolite and undisguised gaze, and finally gave a faint smile: "Do you know what you're doing?"
Despite the confrontational tone, Chi Shu's voice remained tense, unwavering in his response: "What? Who are you?"
Yuan Chuyu casually said, "I am Lin Xiangshuo."
Chi Shu was taken aback. He knew that Lin Xiangshuo was Lin Langyi's brother, but he had never met him in person before, and Lin Langyi had never shown him a photo. However, looking at Yuan Chuyu's figure and temperament, he felt that he really did have the same aura as Lin Langyi, like siblings from a wealthy family.
"It's you, brother..." Chi Shu's wary expression instantly turned into a gentle and sweet smile. "I'm Chi Shu, a third-year student majoring in design at Y University. My sister just responded to Shan Hu. Are you looking for her, brother?"
Seeing that Yuan Chuyu was standing on the edge of the porch of the guesthouse, and would get wet if the rain got too heavy, Chi Shu obsequiously grabbed a public umbrella from the guesthouse at the door, opened it, and approached Yuan Chuyu to hold it over him: "Brother, the rain is getting heavier, why don't we go inside and talk?"
Yuan Chuyu looked at him indifferently, completely unmoved by his charm: "Please don't call me brother."
Chi Shu's smile remained unchanged, but she slightly tiptoed and tilted most of the umbrella towards Yuan Chuyu, making a very attentive and ingratiating gesture.
This is Lin Langyi's older brother, and no matter what, he has to maintain a good relationship with him.
Yuan Chuyu remained motionless, letting Chi Shu straighten his arm and hold the umbrella for him in this strenuous posture.
Within minutes, the rain suddenly intensified, pelting the ground and creating a large mist. Chi Shu remained in the same position, and soon half of her body was soaked, with her sleeves and trouser legs completely drenched.
Yuan Chuyu just stared at him coldly without saying a word, clearly tormenting him.
Chi Shu's smile quickly faded.
"Lin Langyi has a fiancé, and I hope you understand that."
"Of course, it's also possible that you already knew about this and were just pretending not to know, right?"
"Brother, what are you saying..." Chi Shu showed a confused expression at just the right moment, as if he really didn't understand why he was being accused like this.
Yuan Chuyu scrutinized Chi Shu's face with a critical gaze, then took the umbrella from his hand. With a flick of the umbrella, he showed no intention of providing even the slightest bit of shelter to the incredibly thin-looking boy in front of him, instead indifferently leaving him completely exposed to the rain.
Chi Shu stood halfway in the rain, his face deathly pale, as if he had been made to look pitiful by those sarcastic words. His mind, however, was racing, trying to guess what Lin Xiangshuo's next words might be and how he should respond.
If it's a family member, he should show his loyalty, dedication, honesty, and most importantly, not expect anything in return or any response.
People are inherently selfish and self-interested. There are many cases in the world where people treat their daughters-in-law like daughters but turn their backs on them during divorce proceedings. There are also many examples of couples who are perfectly harmonious but are willing to "sacrifice the big for the small" when disaster strikes. No matter how well they get along or how close they are to each other, they will all change their tune when it comes to matters involving blood relatives.
As Lin Langyi's older brother, whatever his intentions in coming to warn her today, Lin Xiangshuo will ultimately stand on his sister's side. The actual interests of that fiancé are not important, unless they affect the interests of the Lin family.
Therefore, all that is needed is to demonstrate loyalty to Lin Langyi, which will be enough to keep Lin Xiangshuo in check.
He stammered, "I only collaborated with Sister Langyi on some activities aimed at university students..."
Yuan Chuyu continued calmly, "Students? Students of Y University... they truly are a disgrace to the century-old school motto."
“I don’t know why you suddenly said that,” Chi Shu said, looking very hurt, biting her lip. “I told you, I only had some official dealings with Sister Langyi as the student council president… Have you misunderstood something?”
"Student council president?" Yuan Chuyu raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression still indifferent.
“Yes, the student council president from the year before last also knows my sister. You're her brother, you must know that, right?” Chi Shu brought up Bian Shu. “That's why you misunderstood me, right? Actually, I was just acting as the president—”
The man in front of her suddenly let out a short, mocking laugh, carrying the arrogant and rude oppressive feeling of the elite class, as well as a kind of infuriating yet helpless pity that seemed to be watching the lives of the lowest ants.
He said, "Student council president? There's no need to emphasize it so many times. You seem to be taking this title a bit too seriously. Zhuzhu sees countless presidents and shareholders every day, and you're definitely not one of them."
Chi Shu sensed the tone in the voice, which sounded like charity to the weak, and his face stiffened inch by inch. He saw the Patek Philippe on Yuan Chuyu's left wrist, the Koenigsegg that looked like a crouching beast in the rain, and the handmade Oxford shoes under his feet that he couldn't even name.
His supposed poverty was just a lie, but there was still a huge gap between him and the noble young master with such a distinguished background.
The difference between people is like heaven and earth.
He recalled seeing a blogger on social media describe a male lead in a movie or TV show wearing an Armani suit, only to have a genuinely wealthy person in the comments section correct him on a fact that people from different social classes would never know:
"Don't always go for Armani, it's a bit too low-class. Among the top ten fabric brands, such as British Scabbard, Italian Zegna, and Loro Piana are the real choices for a house. More importantly, the upper class prefers full bespoke tailoring. They have the money and time to fly to Savile Row in London to try on clothes and have them made to their measurements."
"Please stop making fun of these cheap and low-end 'high-end' ready-to-wear clothes."
Chi Shu's gaze drifted aimlessly into the air. These supercars and luxury watches, which in the past, present, and future could only be seen in museum collections or in pictures, were being worn, rained on, and worn by the people in front of him as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.
So in his eyes, he was just another "petty" blogger, no different from anyone else.
“Sister Langyi would never say these things to me,” Chi Shu gritted her teeth and attacked as if she had been hurt. “Perhaps that is the difference between her and you, so the marriage that you think is a match made in heaven is not what she really wants.”
His expression sharpened, and he retorted, enunciating each word clearly: "You are her brother. Have you truly considered her wishes? Or are you simply standing by and doing nothing because of the watch on your wrist, the car behind you, and the shoes on your feet?"
“You did say a couple of decent things,” Yuan Chuyu said, his eyelashes half-closed as he looked at him calmly. “But firstly, Zhuzhu never says these things to you because she is easygoing by nature and feels that she doesn’t need to say these things to you. I’m saying these things to you because you make me feel that I need to remind you of these differences.”
"Secondly, the depth of affection in a marriage is indeed important, but using the guise of true love to completely deny the 'matching social status' of family backgrounds is usually the talk of a loser who fantasizes about getting rich overnight."
Yuan Chuyu's dark, deep pupils locked onto him, and he spoke bluntly and cruelly: "The choice to abandon wealth and status for love can be made by a young lady, but to hear it from the mouth of a penniless boy who only knows how to shout that true love is priceless..."
He suddenly flashed an impeccable, aggressive smile, his eyes slightly upturned, looking down at the person opposite him with an air of superiority: "It will only make people think he is shameless and incompetent."
"wishful thinking."
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and Chi Shu seemed to lose all warmth in the rain.
The cold fabric of his clothes clung to his body, and rain streamed down his forehead, dripping into his eyes, making him unable to see anything but the harsh and arrogant man before him, who stood like an insurmountable mountain.
His lips were trembling, whether from the cold or something else, and he slowly regained his scattered consciousness.
There's no need to say anything more after a failed conversation.
He backed down: "Brother Lin, I understand what you're saying, but I really didn't have any other intentions. However, I know you're thinking of your family, and I will definitely be more careful in the future..."
Chi Shu blinked slightly, and the raindrops in her eyes streamed down, making the world clearer once again.
Night fell, and the pale moonlight fell silently, only to be quickly obscured by the damp clouds.
He bit his tongue hard until a faint metallic taste filled his mouth, then continued, "Be careful."
“Very good.” Yuan Chuyu pressed on, raising his chin at Chi Shu. “The phone.”
“What…” Chi Shu didn’t understand what he meant and looked at him awkwardly.
"Call Zhuzhu and tell her you can go to school by yourself tomorrow." Yuan Chuyu closed his umbrella, and the water droplets that had gathered on the umbrella immediately flowed down in a small stream.
He moved slightly away and shook the umbrella under the eaves to remove most of the water before putting it away: "She's busy, don't waste her time."
After doing all this, Yuan Chuyu walked into the guesthouse, brushing past Chi Shu and saying, "I'll pay for your taxi fare at the front desk. Someone will take you to school, so don't worry."
Chi Shu gritted her teeth and endured the humiliation without uttering a sound.
He didn't turn around or move for a long time, just letting the rain wash over him, while he heard the guesthouse receptionist behind him treat Yuan Chuyu in a completely different way than she had treated him.
As long as you're willing to pay the right price, no matter how remote the guesthouse is, you're sure to be able to get a taxi.
But those are all just excuses.
When Yuan Chuyu came out again, the receptionist even came out to see him off. Seeing that Chi Shu was still standing there motionless, he quickly called out, "Oh, is this your distant cousin? Come in quickly. If you need anything, just call the front desk from your room."
Chi Shu didn't move; Yuan Chuyu was still waiting for him to make that call.
With his back to the person, he asked stiffly, "Does brother mean that I shouldn't waste Sister Langyi's time anymore?"
"Don't try to trap me. Since this is important, I won't say another word," Yuan Chuyu said listlessly, his patience exhausted. "But you'd better make sure it's really for official business, not because you cut your hand today or missed curfew tomorrow."
Chi Shu paused, took out his phone to make a call, his face expressionless. He told himself that as long as these words didn't come from Lin Langyi's mouth, he could compose himself. After all, everything else was secondary; only her attitude and actions would truly affect or hurt him.
As soon as I unlocked my phone, the photo of the ginkgo tree that he had photoshopped suddenly appeared in front of me.
Chi Shu's expression changed drastically for a moment, blood rushed to her head, and even her heart stopped for a second. She then quickly clicked to delete the photo and then swiftly exited Weibo.
The surroundings were quiet and still.
His heart was pounding in his throat, and all his peripheral vision and attention were focused on the tall, long-legged man beside him, as if he were a frightened bird, afraid that "Lin Xiangshuo" had seen something.
As Lin Langyi's older brother, he must know about Bian Shu's affairs. If he finds out that he had tampered with Bian Shu, Lin Langyi will never speak to him again.
Chi Shu didn't feel much about Yuan Chuyu's veiled sarcasm, or rather, although it did hurt him, it wasn't fatal.
But he absolutely could not accept Lin Langyi's indifference and her refusal to forgive him.
He only cares about her.
At this moment, Chi Shu was truly forced to break out in a cold sweat by the imagined consequences. His hand holding the phone was trembling. He barely managed to control his body as he urgently dialed Lin Langyi's number, hoping to end all of this quickly and get rid of "Lin Xiangshuo".
When the call connected, Chi Shu heard a familiar male voice before hearing Lin Langyi's voice.
The man was still loud and boisterous, his voice bright and powerful, but now it sounded somewhat mumbled.
He pressed him menacingly, "Who called you in the middle of the night?"
It sounded like Lin Langyi was fighting with someone; the sound of hair rubbing together was almost audible, along with the dull, sharp scratching sound of fingernails scratching the fabric.
She didn't know what she had done, but the man's voice suddenly gasped, letting out a deep, muffled breath, and pleaded in a low voice, "Please... I won't bother you anymore..."
Lin Langyi moved closer to the microphone: "Chi Shu?"
Chi Shu's face was completely bloodless. This time, the last string in his mind snapped, as if he had been shot directly between the eyebrows, and he couldn't even hold his last breath.
His gaze was vacant and unfocused as he stared into the night, muttering like a lifeless puppet, "Sister, you don't need to pick me up tomorrow. The front desk said there's a pick-up and drop-off service."
"OK."
The answer was very brief, and soon the phone was just filled with the busy tone of "beep beep beep".
Just like every time we discuss serious matters, she gets straight to the point without any unnecessary words.
Chi Shu slowly lowered her arm from beside her ear, letting it hang limply at her side. The injured part of her fingertips was still throbbing, perhaps because the rain had soaked the wound and made it ache even more.
It really hurts.
He joked, "It's over."
The man beside her left without a second thought.
Chi Shu closed his eyes, too exhausted to even turn his head to look at Yuan Chuyu.
Yuan Chuyu returned to the car, the headlights came on, and the black sports car made a U-turn in the rain, heading straight into the distance.
As Chi Shu listened to the fading roar of the engine, a bitter taste rose in his mouth, and he had to repeatedly tell himself:
Fortunately, the Weibo post by "Lin Xiangshuo" that flashed by just now didn't get a response; he probably didn't see it.
It was truly a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
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