Chapter 86: You should stay away from him
Mu Yan blinked, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
Time has left few marks on him. He is like a pebble on a riverbank. Even if the wind and frost of the outside world temper him, they will only wear away some of his edges. He is still himself.
For example, Mu Yan is sitting in front of He Fan wearing clothes that are much more expensive than they were back then, but he still looks exactly the same as the boy who wore a faded T-shirt back then.
However, there are still differences. At least now... there are no longer any irrelevant people standing between them.
The setting sun was gradually sinking by the window, but the sky had not yet darkened. Looking out the window, the sky was filled with beautiful rosy clouds. Mu Yan sat opposite him, eating the dishes he had prepared himself.
The food in Country A is completely different from what we have back home. Mu Yan hadn't had such authentic Shanghainese cuisine in a long time. Although the chef Lu Chong hired was quite good, after so many years abroad, he still couldn't match the authenticity of He Fan's cooking, who frequently traveled between the two countries.
He Fan had a late lunch and was full after a while, so he didn't touch his chopsticks much and just watched Mu Yan eat.
Mu Yan doesn't like to talk much when he's eating, and He Fan doesn't try to start a conversation either. He just watches as Mu Yan's cheeks puff out, making him look like a little animal.
"When did Xiao Fan learn to cook? It's so delicious!" Mu Yan praised without reservation. He had thought about cooking for himself these past few days, but it wasn't convenient to buy the familiar ingredients from back home. He was also busy learning English and working on his resume every day, so he had to give up and obediently eat the chef's cooking.
“Actually, I always have, but I couldn’t live alone like I used to when I was in college,” He Fan put a piece of beef on Mu Yan’s plate. “There are some things I want to eat that I can’t buy, so I thought I’d try to learn how to make them myself. I’m glad you like it, I’ll make them for you again in the future.”
Mu Yan looked at him, his eyes darkening. He wasn't a careless person; although He Fan's tone was light, he could still hear the loneliness in He Fan's voice when he said he was used to living alone.
He knew that He Fan seemed to come from a single-parent family. He had never heard He Fan mention his father. He only had one relative, his mother, who had been doing business in Country A and had left him in China. He Fan even came to university alone.
Although He Fan appears lively and cheerful, she must still feel wronged having been alone for so many years.
Mu Yan wanted to comfort him, saying that he was so outstanding and an S-level alpha, and that many omegas had pursued him when he was in college. He said that as long as he wanted, he would definitely be able to find a partner and start his own family soon. However, He Fan suddenly smiled and changed the subject, asking him why he hadn't told him that he had been in Country A for half a month and that he was getting angry.
“I remember you just returned to China a few days ago,” Mu Yan said a little embarrassedly, explaining in a low voice, “I thought you would stay in China for a while longer, so there’s no need to tell you now.”
He Fan had finished eating and was sitting opposite Mu Yan, peeling shrimp with an empty bowl, glancing up at him every now and then.
He peeled shrimp quickly and skillfully, and was still able to chat with Mu Yan while doing so.
“I was just kidding, how could I really get angry over something like this? Brother, have some more of these shrimp. They were just air-freighted over this morning, they’re very tender and fresh.” After piling up a small mound of shrimp, He Fan pushed the bowl toward Mu Yan. “Anyway, if you decide to pursue a master’s degree here, we can see each other often in the future.”
"Did you peel them for me?" Mu Yan was taken aback. As an adult, he felt a little embarrassed to have He Fan peel shrimp for him. "Why are you being so polite? I can peel them myself."
"I've already eaten, and I'm just sitting here anyway, so you don't have to peel it yourself."
The best black tiger prawns are best boiled; dipped in vinegar, they have a refreshingly sweet taste. Mu Yan smiled a little embarrassedly and told He Fan to stop peeling them, as this was enough.
He Fan readily agreed, quickly peeling the shrimp he was peeling and placing it in the bowl in front of Mu Yan, then immediately stopped what he was doing.
"I haven't decided yet about graduate school. I feel like I'm no longer suited to working here after all this time, so I plan to find a job first and get used to life here..."
When I escaped, I thought that as long as I had freedom, everything would be fine. But when I actually arrived in a foreign country, I realized that there were so many things to adapt to: language, local customs, and even getting used to which side of the car was the driver's seat.
“Alright,” He Fan said, standing up and getting up to cut an orange for Mu Yan. “We don’t live far apart, so we can look after each other in the future.”
He Fan forgot to take off his apron after finishing cooking. Mu Yan watched his back as he cut fruit on the cutting board. The unease of being in a foreign country seemed to be lessened by this. Mu Yan thought of when he went from the village to the town for junior high school, and when he went from the town to high school. In fact, he always set off alone with just a small bag.
He suddenly felt that there was nothing to be afraid of.
After finishing his meal with He Fan, he chatted for a while longer. When he got home, it was already past nine o'clock at night. He could see from afar that the lights in the house were still on, probably left by the housekeeper.
Mu Yan invited He Fan to his home, and He Fan gladly agreed.
As soon as the door opened, a white, fluffy Samoyed rushed out, excitedly circling around Mu Yan, sniffing him, and then jumping into his arms.
"Is that Brother Yan's dog? It's so cute!" He Fan exclaimed sincerely, then quietly closed the door to prevent the dog from running away. "Do you need to change your shoes?"
"No need to change your shoes, please sit wherever you like." Mu Yan picked up Tangyuan and walked side by side with He Fan into the corner of the entrance hall. Only then did they realize that not only were the living room lights on, but there was another person sitting on the sofa.
In the corner of the living room sat a suitcase that hadn't been unpacked yet. Lu Chong looked travel-worn, still wearing a well-tailored suit, his SR silk tie casually placed on the sofa armrest. Hearing the door close, he subconsciously closed his laptop and placed it on the coffee table, glancing up at the entryway.
Lu Chong left the day before yesterday, saying that there were things at the company that he had to deal with, which should take about three days. Mu Yan did not expect him to come back at this time.
"I've finished dealing with things at the company, and I was worried you'd be bored here..." Before Mu Yan could say anything, Lu Chong awkwardly offered his explanation.
That familiar face, that familiar bergamot scent of pheromones—Lu Chong recognized the alpha next to Mu Yan at first glance.
However, he and Mu Yan no longer have any relationship. He himself accepted this, and he has no reason to restrict Mu Yan from making friends.
"Yan Yan," Lu Chong hesitated for a moment before speaking casually, his gaze slowly shifting to He Fan standing in the entryway, "Is this your new friend?"
He Fan smiled and stepped forward, introducing himself: "I'm Xiao Yan's roommate in college. I've met you a few times before, but Mr. Lu may be too forgetful to remember me."
Lu Chong nodded and gave a perfunctory, polite smile, telling Mu Yan that there were tea cakes in the second compartment of the kitchen cabinet.
Mu Yan doesn't drink tea and doesn't know exactly where the tea cake is, but seeing that Lu Chong doesn't seem inclined to get up and make tea for He Fan, he doesn't want to ask Lu Chong to get it.
The atmosphere between Lu Chong and He Fan was not as tense as last time. Mu Yan didn't want to leave the guest without even pouring him a cup of tea. He figured that it wouldn't be a problem for him to go get a tea cake, so he went into the kitchen to find the tea cake that Lu Chong had mentioned.
The living room fell silent, and the atmosphere suddenly turned cold.
Lu Chong closed his laptop, slowly sat up straight on the sofa, and stared at He Fan with a cold gaze, the expression he had shown in front of Mu Yan completely gone.
"You're actually Xie Chengjun's son... I miscalculated by not sending anyone to investigate you before."
He Fan sat on the sofa, looking calm with a slight smile on his lips: "Mr. Lu, please don't say that. The Xie family doesn't acknowledge me as their son."
Lu Chong stared at him coldly. As a top alpha, He Fan's pheromones were the rare non-aggressive bergamot pheromones. He always had this smiling, harmless look, appearing sunny and innocent.
Who would have thought that such a person would push his own brother off a building at the age of thirteen, causing him to become paralyzed for life?
Lu Chong couldn't find out the specific reason for his conflict with Xie Rong, but the media in Country A had a very high degree of freedom. If Xie Rong had done something that was outrageous, Lu Chong couldn't possibly have been completely unaware of it.
Xie Rong's omega father, Leo, is the son of a high-ranking judge in Country A. Before he got together with Xie Chengjun, he was reported to be arrogant, domineering, and had many scandals. Considering the impression Xie Chengjun gave to Lu Chong, Xie Rong's personality is not very likable.
But does being disliked mean certain death? He himself disliked his stepmother and her adopted brother, but he never considered killing them. Calling He Fan's personality extreme is an understatement; labeling him an antisocial personality wouldn't be entirely unfair.
“Someone like you…” Lu Chong felt a chill. If he used to hate He Fan because he was jealous and crazy, now he hates He Fan because he is a normal person’s disgust for a criminal who attempted murder. “If you really like him and want what’s best for him, you should stay away from him.”
He Fan tilted his head slightly, as if seriously considering Lu Chong's words, and then smiled faintly: "I don't know what position Mr. Lu is on to warn me. Are you Xiao Yan's guardian? You're quite well-maintained; I can't believe you're so old."
"I'm just reminding you. If you're willing to behave yourself, that's best. If you don't know what's good for you, then I can tell Mu Yan about your matter and let him judge."
Upon hearing this, He Fan seemed to suddenly relax. Lu Chong saw his mocking smile after he dropped his disguise and realized that he had just missed the opportunity when He Fan was most nervous and most likely to reveal his weakness.
"I thought you had found out something, but I didn't expect you to know nothing and just come to me to threaten me."
“Young Master Lu, you really don’t know the hardships of ordinary people. When families like ours fight, it’s either you die or I live. The one who was pushed down the stairs that day was either Xie Rong or me. I was just trying to protect myself.”
"Do you know how many years I've known Xiaoyan?" He Fan looked at him provocatively. "I've known him for four years, and for two of those years, we slept in the same room. Do you think Xiaoyan would feel sorry for me or be afraid of me after hearing this story?"
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